SRH vs PBKS: Aakash Chopra compares Punjab Kings with Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Team

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra shared his views on the upcoming match between SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Aakash Chopra described it as a contest between a full IPL team on one side and a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy team on the other.

The SunRisers Hyderabad will host the Punjab Kings in their last league stage match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, May 19. The Pat Cummins-led team is currently in third place in the table with 15 points. Meanwhile, the Punjab Kings are eliminated from the playoff race in the ongoing season.

The Pat Cummins-led team hopes to finish the league stage with a victory, which will help them jump into the second position. However, the Hyderabad franchise wants today's second game between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to go in their favor to secure a berth in Qualifier 1.

Shikhar Dhawan's Availability Is Unknown - Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra noted that SunRisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings are not evenly matched. The former Indian opener suggested that SRH appears stronger compared to PBKS for the upcoming match.

"This match is now not between the equals. When you used to see Punjab earlier, they had (Jonny) Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Rilee Rossouw, Sam Curran and Kagiso Rabada. Nathan Ellis will still be there. However, a lot of them have left. Kagiso Rabada, Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran are not there. The last game's Player of the Match is not there," Chopra said.

"So who is left? How will they be able to field four foreigners? They won't be able to do so. You will see Nathan Ellis, and Rilee Rossouw at the top, and all the rest will be Indians. Shikhar Dhawan's availability is also unknown. The batting is looking slightly unreliable. It seems like there is a full IPL team on one side and a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy team on the other," he added.

Jitesh Sharma is set to lead the team in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan. Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, and Jonny Bairstow returned to England for their national duty. Chris Woakes and Kagiso Rabada are also unavailable for selection. Rilee Rossouw and Nathan Ellis are the only two overseas players available.

Hyderabad Should Win This Match - Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-commentator predicted SRH would secure victory in Sunday's first game. Aakash Chopra described the Pat Cummins-led team as the most entertaining team in the ongoing IPL 2024 season.

"If KKR have looked the best team, Hyderabad have looked the most entertaining team. Their bowling might not have been consistently as good as KKR, but the batting has a lot of might. Hyderabad will win. I mean Hyderabad should win this match and reach 17 points," Chopra concluded.

The Hyderabad-based team crossed the 250-run mark three times in the IPL 2024. The team posted a mammoth total of 287 runs in a league-stage match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The team scored 277 runs and 266 runs against the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC), respectively.

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