Hyderabad, Apr 21:
Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to make home advantage count when they take on inconsistent Delhi Capitals in a mid-table clash of the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.
Both teams sit on six points, though fourth-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad are marginally ahead, having played a game more and boasting a superior Net Run Rate.
For SRH, the narrative has been one of gradual correction. In the absence of skipper Pat Cummins, who has linked up with the squad but remains unavailable for this game, their bowling unit initially looked thin.
But over the last two games, a relatively unheralded group has stepped up. Names like Praful Hinge, Sakib Husain and Shivang Kumar have seized their opportunity, injecting both energy and control into the attack.
Hinge’s standout performance against Rajasthan Royals was followed by a collective bowling effort, led by Eshan Malinga, against Chennai Super Kings, where SRH delivered a clinical exhibition of death bowling, helping them secure back-to-back wins at home.
That resurgence with the ball has been central to their recent momentum.
However, the same cannot be said of their batting. SRH’s approach remains aggressively high-risk, but the returns have been inconsistent. Openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, along with stand-in captain Ishan Kishan, have not quite clicked together.
The lack of collective starts has repeatedly exposed the middle order. As a result, the burden has largely fallen on Heinrich Klaasen. The South African has often walked in after the fall of quick wickets, forcing him to rebuild before launching.
While capable of devastating acceleration, Klaasen has had to curb his natural instincts early, making his job significantly harder.
Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, have inconsistency issues of their own.
Their experienced players like KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka and Tristan Stubbs have been among the runs, but the team would need bigger contributions from them, especially on batting-friendly surfaces.
Sameer Rizvi, after starring in DC’s opening two matches, has slipped into a lean patch with single-digit scores in the last three games.
Their bowling attack, however, is built on variety and flexibility. In the absence of Mitchell Starc, who was the team’s standout performer last season, South African pacer Lungi Ngidi has led the attack well, combining economy with wicket-taking ability, claiming seven wickets in five games.
Skipper Axar Patel has also been economical, providing control through the middle overs. However, star left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav is yet to deliver as per expectations, while pacers Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan have shown promise in patches.