Punjab aim to return to winning ways after two losses | IPL 2021 Punjab Kings vs SunRisers Hyderabad: SWOT Analysis

SunRisers Hyderabad will be looking to register their first win of the season when they take on Punjab Kings in match 14 of IPL 2021. The Kings will aim to get back to winning ways after losing their previous two games. Here is the analysis of the two teams.

SWOT for PBKS:

Strengths: Batting still holds a lot of promise for PBKS. KL Rahul has two fifties, and Mayank Agarwal and Deepak Hooda have one fifty each. Shahrukh Khan impressed in his cameo of 45 against Delhi Capitals. And it would take just one inning for Chris Gayle to come back in form. Nicholas Pooran has started slowly, but it will be difficult to stop him if he gets going. If three of these six batsmen get runs, then PBKS chances to win increases manifold.

Weaknesses: Australian pacers Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith have been unimpressive in the three matches. Their lack of enough bowling experience in Indian conditions has been evident. Together they have picked just five wickets in total 21 overs. Richardson is averaging 39.00, and Meredith is bowling at an average of 52.50. Their failure is putting pressure on Mohammed Shami to deliver.

Opportunities: This will be Punjab Kings’ first match in Chennai. So, skipper KL Rahul can give select leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi in the starting XI. He was Punjab's second-highest wicket-taker last season with 12 wickets. Of those 12 wickets, four came in the two matches he played against SRH. And twice Bishnoi was able to send David Warner back in the dug-out. Today, he can play his first match of IPL 2021.

Threats: PBKS often get a brisk start while batting, but their run rate tends to dip in the middle overs. In the spinning track of Chennai, the team need to up the ante in the middle overs. PBKS will possibly end their innings with a low total on the scoreboard if they maintain the same approach in Chennai.

SWOT for SRH:

Strengths: SRH have an array of overseas players who can win matches for them on a given day. David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan, Jason Holder and Mohammed Nabi have plenty of international experience. It is a shame that only four of these players can play together for SRH.

Weaknesses: There is not enough firepower in the middle order for SRH to chase down the totals, and it succumbs once the top-order is dismissed. Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar and Abdul Samad have together scored only 169 runs so far. Also, captain David Warner is looking unsure about his team combination. He made four changes in the playing XI in the previous match. The inclusion of Kane Williamson can solve SRH's middle-order problems.

Opportunity: Deflated after three losses, if SRH would have wanted to face a team to get back to winning ways, it is PBKS. SRH have an excellent head-to-head record against Punjab. Three of their ten all-time high scores have been against PBKS. If the numbers are to go by, then this is the match in which SRH can open their account in the points table.

Threats: SRH are experiencing what PBKS went through last season. An early season slump. Punjab had lost their first four matches in IPL 2020. It took a string of victories for PBKS towards the end of the league phase to ignite some hope of qualifying for the playoffs, which did not happen eventually. So, SRH need to get things back on track or else they can face the same situation.

Head-to-head:

Matches Played: 16

PBKS:5

SRH: 11

Form guide: Last five matches (most recent first)

PBKS: L-L-W-L-L

SRH: L-L-L-L-W

Team news:

There are still some doubts over Kane Williamson’s fitness and he is unlikely to feature in SRH’s playing XI. The Punjab Kings have reported no fitness issues.

Deccan Herald’s dream XI

David Warner (captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, M Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi.

Impact Player for PBKS:

KL Rahul: He is in fine form with the bat and has hit two fifties already. However, he should be a bit mindful about the strike rate at which he is getting his runs. Rahul tends to slow down in the middle phase. If he can accelerate in the middle overs, then his innings will become more valuable.

Impact player for SRH:

David Warner: The onus is on the skipper to give his team a fast start and score the bulk of the runs. Warner already has one fifty to his name this season. He can draw inspiration from the fact that he hit a fifty against the same opponent last season. It's about time that Warner gets going and pushes his team ahead this season.