IPL 2018: Match 28, Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Match Prediction

Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be a rejuvenated unit following their exceptional return with a victory over Mumbai Indians. They will be playing after a week and the break might well turn out to be the make or break situation for the Royals.

We have witnessed in the past that long breaks between matches don’t actually help the sides while taking on each other. However, Royals will like to feel confident about their previous win and will to take the matter forward in the 28^th match of Vivo IPL 11 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

It was a heroic innings of 33 of just 11 deliveries by Krishnappa Gowtham which helped Rajasthan clinch a brilliant last over victory.

Almost, they seemed done and dusted for the major part of the match. However, Gowtham dashed Mumbai’s hopes with some exceptional strokeplay.

Highly-impressive Sanju Samson has already struck some form in the tournament so far. He scored a brilliant 92 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) early on in the tournament.

However, he hasn’t had much success in the last couple of encounters. He is a vital cog in the middle order and will surely look to score big in the all-important encounter.

The form of two most expensive buys in the tournament Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat is a serious concern for the Rajasthan unit.

Unadkat has been smashed all around the park and has failed to make a mark in the tournament. He finished as the leading wicket-taker in 2017 which made him a very valuable player in this year’s auction.

On the other hand, Stokes too has not been able to contribute the way he would have liked with both bat and the ball.

Shreyas Gopal has been the pick of the Rajasthan bowlers. He has bowled quite economically and has also bagged wickets in crucial junctures of the game.

The return of Jofra Archer has bolstered the team further. Archer made a stunning IPL debut finishing with impressive figures of three for 23 in his allotted four overs.

Well, it was his superb spell which helped Rajasthan restrict Mumbai to a manageable total.

With the match being played in their fortress, the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan will surely back them to come out triumphant.

Also Read: IPL 2018: We Were 15 Runs Short of a Par Total, Says Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Hyderabad, on the other hand, will be buzzing with confidence after defending two pretty low totals.

It was a brilliant bowling performance by Hyderabad sans Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Siddharth Kaul took up the responsibility in Bhuvi’s absence and played instrumental roles in the victories against the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan has also stormed back to form after getting a tap in a couple of matches.

The leggie bowled brilliantly in the last two matches and remains an integral part of the set-up.

Basil Thampi, who was a find for the Gujarat Lions last year has proved to be an able replacement for Bhuvneshwar.

Skipper Kane Williamson will be a tad worried about their batting performance in the last couple of games.

Hyderabad failed to post competitive totals. However, their bowlers saved them on both the occasions.

Williamson has been the star performer for Hyderabad at the top of the order.

Shikhar Dhawan has been an invaluable asset for the team and in the likes of Manish Pandey, they have a reliable middle order batsman. He has slowly but steadily come back to form.

Yusuf Pathan is also an important player for Hyderabad and will look to strike some lusty blows against Rajasthan.

Team Combinations –

Rajasthan Royals:

The ploy to replace D’Arcy Short with Heinrich Klaasen hasn’t quite paid dividends. There is a chance that Short might make a comeback.

Klaasen is a terrific batsman against spin. However when it comes to fast bowling Short is an impressive customer. Hyderabad has good pacers and spinners in their squad so it will be a tough call. The rest of the XI is expected to remain the same.

Predicted XI: Ajinkya Rahane, D’Arcy Short/Heinrich Klaasen, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

If Bhuvneshwar is fit, he will replace Thampi in the playing XI. The rest of the team remains pretty same.

Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Nabi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Basil Thampi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul

Match Prediction:

It is expected to be a crackerjack of a contest. Hyderabad has played some terrific cricket in this tournament so far. Their bowlers, in particular, have been brilliant.

Rajasthan, on the other hand, will be bolstered by their victory against Indians. They will also gain confidence from the fact that they will be playing in Jaipur.

Two teams are pretty close on paper but I will go with Rajasthan. So my prediction is Rajasthan Royals will getter better of Hyderabad.

Also Read: IPL 2018: Very Much Alive, Wanted This Win Desperately – Rohit Sharma