Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals have impressed this season under coach Rahul Dravid. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performance underwent fluctuations. Still, few players stood out when it mattered for both the outfits.
Rajasthan Royals
Deepak Hooda: He is unpredictable, can hit any bowler if he is in the mood. Hooda’s strike rate is 203.44 – which is higher than Chris Gayle as well. Though he has registered only one half-century so far in the tournament, he is one player bowlers should worry about.
Karun Nair: Fresh from his triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy, Nair slammed a 38-ball 61 in Rajasthan’s last encounter against Delhi Daredevils. He has the strokes, and is gutsy enough to take on the likes of Dale Steyn.
James Faulkner: He may not be as destructive yet, as he was for Australia in the World Cup but one cannot miss him out. Against Delhi, he was economical (conceded only 22 runs in his four overs) and picked up two important wickets – that of Yuvraj Singh and JP Duminy.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
David Warner: With 382 runs, he is slowly catching up with Ajinkya Rahane on the Orange Cap race. Warner is in a terrific form and has smashed five half-centuries so far in the tournament.
Trent Boult: The star New Zealand pacer has already bagged eight wickets in six outings for the Hyderabad franchise. Since he remained wicketless in the last tie, he will be hungry for dismissals in this one.
Karn Sharma: The leggie caught the attention after his all-round show against Kolkata Knight Riders (though for a losing cause). He picked up two wickets for 29 runs and played a cameo – 32 off 20. He would be keen to repeat his performance.
