Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals IPL Tips: Sunrisers set for fast start

Listen to Cricket...Only Bettor IPL Preview Part 1: the bottom 5

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals
Sunday 23 March, 10:00
TV: live on Sky Sports

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals IPL team news

Sunrisers Hyderabad, last year's runners-up, will once again be one of the most feared batting teams in the competition. And although their bowlers couldn't be blamed for ultimately failing to lift the title, the franchise has moved to improve in that area.

Mohammad Shami is an important signing and will offer much-needed nous on the Hyderabad road. Harshal Patel has twice won the Purple Cap. Adam Zampa or Wiaan Mulder could be their fourth overseas player. If it's Mulder that would suggest SRH are worried about a lack of batting depth. Jaydev Unadkat could come in as an impact player with the ball, Atharva Taide with the bat. Pat Cummins appears to be fit after missing the Champions Trophy.

Possible SRH XI: Head, Abhishek, Kishan, Reddy, Klaasen, Taide/Manohar, Cummins, Harshal, Shami, Simarjeet, Zampa

Rajasthan Royals will be led by Riyan Parag for the first three matches with Sanju Samson playing as a batter only. That means Dhruv Jurel will keep wicket. 

They had a poor auction, losing Yuz Chahal and Jos Buttler. Indeed, the failure to add overseas batting resources in the light of Buttler's exit was surprising. Royals have had significant issues in the middle-order and they look weaker than ever.

The good news is that they have a solid four frontline bowlers. Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana are a great spin combo. Sandeep Sharma and Jofra Archer are excellent pacers. Keeping Hasaranga and Archer fit will be key.

Possible RR XI:  Jaiswal, Samson, Rana, Parag, Jurel, Hetmyer, Dubey, Hasaranga, Theekshana, Archer, Sandeep

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals pitch report

The early 20-overs par line is set at 187.5 for overs. That bet has won in six of the last 14. But do bear in mind that the Rajiv Gandhi surface was changed for the 2024 season to play to the Sunrisers' hitting strength. The line is a buy if Sunrisers bat first because of a run rate of 10 when doing so in 2024.

The sixes overs line looks cheap at 17.5 at 5/61.84. That was a winner in four of the last six. Another underrated line is Sunrisers' powerplay score. They know only one way to play in the first six overs, averaging 67 last season. Sportsbook offer over 58.5. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma both have strike rates of more than 180 in the powerplay. No rain is forecast. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals match prediction

The game could well be decided by Rajasthan's ability to remove both Head and Abhishek in the first six. They are that destructive. Clearly set up as a bowling team, Royals may have the weapons to do it but they won't be the first to reckon they're well equipped and end up suffering. 

Sunrisers are already skinny at 1.654/6 and a case could be made on the basis that an Archer burst keeps the home batting becalmed. It would force SRH into an early sub, for example, if both went in the powerplay with Taide a possible impact player.  Last season Royals did okay in the powerplay, getting Abhishek cheaply, but the platform was still laid for Heinrich Klaasen and Ntish Kumar Reddy to go ballistic at the back end. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals Exchange strategy

So if Travishek don't get you, Klaasen and Reddy will. Dangerous at the death with the bat, Sunrisers could go stratospheric batting first or be well in control of the game needing more than ten an over in the chase. There's a small chance the markets may disagree on the latter.

The trick will be to have faith in Sunrisers' ability to go through the gears. On innings runs for example, 60 or 70 added to their total at the death (last four) is a strategy. And say they needed 80 or more in the last four in a chase? On the match odds that would warrant support for a back-to-lay. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals player bets

Parag has a 28.5% win rate on top bat in IPL in the last two years so there is a sizeable edge at Sportsbook's 5/16.00. He could bat as nigh as No 4. He won the market in this fixture last term. For SRH, it pay be wise to go for milestones with Head slightly more reliable than Abhishek. The Aussie is 11/53.20 for a fifty. Klaasen is 9/25.50 to top bat but he doesn't bat high enough or boast a big enough win rate (the two are not unrelated) for the price. 

Listen to Cricket...Only Bettor IPL Preview Part II: All the winners revealed

Now read more Cricket tips and previews here!