Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2020 Eliminator: SRH vs RCB Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SRH vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

It’s not often that we enter an IPL Eliminator match with two sides experiencing the complete opposite run of form. In a strange and unpredictable 2020, that is what we have here, with one side storming into the playoffs and the other doing just enough to make it.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s three straight wins has them rightly touted as a danger team in the IPL 2020 playoffs. They have hit top form at just the right time, producing strong performances with both bat and ball to overtake the likes of KKR and KXIP into the playoff places.

Indeed, their experience in do-or-die matches already this season can hold them in good stead. Skipper David Warner believes so, as his team has finally struck the balance that eluded them throughout IPL 2020. The form of Wriddhiman Saha and Sandeep Sharma has provided a strong platform for the likes of David Warner, Jason Holder and Rashid Khan to do their thing, and SRH will be hoping for more of the same today.

Royal Challengers Bangalore will have to overcome SRH’s good form, as well as their own poor form. RCB, one of the top teams in the first half of the season, are now on a run of four straight defeats, including a comprehensive loss at the hands of SRH last week. So, in their first playoffs appearance since IPL 2017, can RCB turn around their form to win this one and then play the out-of-form Delhi Capitals in the second Qualifier?

Skipper Virat Kohli has called for more bravery in the batting side of things, as RCB remain concerned about what’s to come after their number four. It will be interesting to see whether they make any changes to their batting order here to strike gold, but that approach is frought with risk in a knockout match. So, can RCB pass this test of nerves and qualify further?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• At the start of the season, not many would have predicted that Wriddhiman Saha would replace the dynamic Jonny Bairstow. Even fewer would have thought that Saha would outplay the England opener and give SRH a completely different dimension. The keeper-batsman has struck 87, 39 and 58* in his last three knocks, and will be looking to continue the great form.
• Also, what Saha’s inclusion has done is free up David Warner. The SRH skipper has struck two half-centuries in his last three games (66 and 85*), at an overall strike rate of 163.92. He missed out vs RCB a few days ago (8), but still possesses a superb record against them: 17 inns, 683 runs, avg. 45.53, SR 164.18.
• So, can RCB’s openers make the kind of impact the SRH openers have been making? Devdutt Padikkal scored a half-century against SRH early in the season, but he and his opening partner need to overcome the threat of Sandeep Sharma.
• Out of Sandeep’s 108 IPL wickets, 62 are openers and number threes. He has taken nine wickets in his last four games (2/29, 2/27, 2/20 and 3/34), and will have a key role to play once again.
• Also, Sandeep has dismissed Virat Kohli seven times in 13 matches. So, it is a big game for the RCB skipper, who has crossed 40 just once in his last seven innings vs SRH. Overall, though, Kohli has performed well vs SRH (525 runs, avg. 40.30).
• AB de Villiers is crucial to RCB’s chances. In RCB wins in IPL 2020, ABD has scored 246 runs at an average of 123 and SR of 203.31. In RCB losses, this comes down to 152 runs at an average of 21.71.
• de Villiers has solid numbers against SRH, which includes a 30-ball 51 against them early in IPL 2020: 14 inns, 464 runs, avg. 35.69, SR 161.67.
• Manish Pandey is enjoying a decent run of form, with 83*, 15, 44* and 26 in his last four knocks. He has scored 34 (33) and 26 (19) vs RCB this season. Can he build on those starts?
• Kane Williamson for SRH vs RCB: 270 runs, avg. 54.00.
• Jason Holder has been an excellent addition to SRH this season. He has taken 10 wickets in his five games to date, including 2/27 vs RCB a few nights ago.
• RCB need Chris Morris to rediscover his best form, although his economy rate at the death remains solid. The RCB recruit has taken just two wickets in his last five games, after taking nine in his first four matches in IPL 2020. Also, he is on a run of four single-digit scores in row (2, 4, 3, 0), so RCB will want more from him with the bat, too.
• Yuzvendra Chahal was player of the match vs SRH early in IPL 2020 (3/18). He has the most wickets in RCB-SRH matches (15 in 13 matches). Key player.
• His opposite number, Rashid Khan, has taken at least one wicket in each of his last five matches (total of eight), and possesses an incredible economy rate of just 5.28 in IPL 2020.
• Shahbaz Nadeem is coming off a man-of-the-match performance vs MI. RCB have usually struggled to score freely in the middle overs, so Nadeem could prove crucial today.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 17, RCB 7, SRH 9, 1 abandoned.
• Both RCB and SRH have won one match each against each other in IPL 2020. SRH won the most recent meeting by five wickets at Sharjah.
• Chahal to Pandey? The RCB leg-spinner has dismissed the SRH batsman four times in 48 balls, whilst conceding just 41 runs.
• Virat Kohli strikes at just 108.10 in the middle overs in IPL 2020 (259 balls faced). So, RCB could look to open with Kohli and bring in Moeen Ali who has performed well in the middle overs since IPL 2018 (SR 160.50 at this stage).
• AB de Villiers has a strike rate of 230.86 in the death overs in IPL 2020.

Possible Playing 11

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Devdutt Padikkal, 2. Josh Philippe, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. AB de Villiers (wk), 5. Shivam Dube, 6. Chris Morris, 7. Washington Sundar, 8. Isuru Udana, 9. Shahbaz Ahmed/Navdeep Saini, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1. David Warner (c), 2. Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Kane Williamson, 5. Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma, 6. Jason Holder, 7. Abdul Samad, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Shahbaz Nadeem, 10. Sandeep Sharma, 11. T Natarajan

Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report

Chasing teams have won the last six matches at Abu Dhabi, despite some big scores batting first (195 by MI vs RR and 186 by KXIP vs RR). So, the captain who wins the toss will likely chase given the dew around.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

The team batting first will need a strong score to provide a buffer with the dew factor. SRH, with their great form, start as favourites. But, if the Kohli-ABD duo fires, and if their bowling attack can deliver powerplay wickets, RCB have a great chance in this one. The same applies to SRH, so an interesting match awaits.