Rajasthan Royals have won four of their 10 matches and a change in leadership has seemingly changed their season around, even if only a bit. Given the form they are in, it can't be denied that they do have an advantage at home. However, what goes against them is that two more of their England players are leaving after Jos Buttler: Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.
Sunrisers Hyderabad also lose Jonny Bairstow but have Wriddhiman Saha and Shreevats Goswami waiting in the wings. One of them should partner Warner at the top. This will also open up room for Mohammad Nabi to return to the XI and he could replace Yusuf Pathan.
Weather and Pitch conditions: Pitch is expected to be on the slower side although it will still be good for batting.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Sanju Samson (9 cr)
Samson has returned from an injury, and with Buttler departing, has taken over his role with bat and gloves. He is the opener and keeper in the side and will be expected to fire the way Buttler did. Samson is a good choice for this match in particular given that he had hit a hundred when these sides met earlier.
Batsman: David Warner (11.5 cr)
Warner is in stunning form this season and will want to make a lasting impression in his last few days in the IPL. He heads out to Australia for the World Cup preparations soon after this. The southpaw will be banked upon
Rajasthan Royals have won four of their 10 matches and a change in leadership has seemingly changed their season around, even if only a bit. Given the form they are in, it can't be denied that they do have an advantage at home. However, what goes against them is that two more of their England players are leaving after Jos Buttler: Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.
Sunrisers Hyderabad also lose Jonny Bairstow but have Wriddhiman Saha and Shreevats Goswami waiting in the wings. One of them should partner Warner at the top. This will also open up room for Mohammad Nabi to return to the XI and he could replace Yusuf Pathan.
Weather and Pitch conditions: Pitch is expected to be on the slower side although it will still be good for batting.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Sanju Samson (9 cr)
Samson has returned from an injury, and with Buttler departing, has taken over his role with bat and gloves. He is the opener and keeper in the side and will be expected to fire the way Buttler did. Samson is a good choice for this match in particular given that he had hit a hundred when these sides met earlier.
Batsman: David Warner (11.5 cr)
Warner is in stunning form this season and will want to make a lasting impression in his last few days in the IPL. He heads out to Australia for the World Cup preparations soon after this. The southpaw will be banked upon to provide a good start, without Bairstow this time.
All-Rounder: Vijay Shankar (8.5 cr)
Shankar has flown under the radar with Bairstow and Warner hogging headlines but the all-rounder, who nudged Ambati Rayudu to the World Cup squad, is a fine middle-order batsman and a handy pace bowling all-rounder. He will have a bigger role in these matches with Bairstow absent at the top.
Bowler: Shreyas Gopal (9 cr)
The leg-spinner has had a great season and is in line to be the go-to bowler for Smith with Archer leaving. The middle overs will be crucial from Gopal and he will be expected to create breakthroughs. At Jaipur, he will know the surface won't be against him.
Uncapped Player: Riyan Parag (8 cr)
The 17-year-old Riyan Parag has been mighty impressive and mature and marshaled a run-chase against Kolkata Knight Riders the other day. Given his all-round abilities and approach with the bat, he is a great pick from the uncapped shelf.
Captain: David Warner
Vice-Captain: Sanju Samson
Predicted Playing XI:
Rajasthan Royals: Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Steve Smith, Rahul Tripathi, Riyan Parag, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Ashton Turner/Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Oshane Thomas, Varun Aaron
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner, Shreevats Goswami/Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan/Mohammad Nabi, Deepak Hooda, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed
