Hyderabad and Bangalore will lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 8. The difference between the two teams is only one win. The Men In Red have won six games while Hyderabad has won five. The three-time finalists are on the fourth spot in the points table while the 2016 winners are on sixth. This is the second time both teams are playing each other. In the last game between the two, Orange Army won by a huge margin. In the return fixture, the Faf du Plessis-led side would be looking to settle the scores.
Team News
Hyderabad:Â The team is coming from three back-to-back losses. This has hampered their chances of progressing to the playoffs as they were looking set to get through to the next round after five back-to-back wins. They now need to win at least three out of four games. Notably, in the last three games, there bowling, which was their strength in the initial games, looked weak as they have conceded more than 190 runs each game. They would want their bowling to pull up their socks with the race to playoffs getting tighter.
Key Players:Â
Nicholas Pooran:Â The wicketkeeper batter has been an in-form player in this season. He is coming off from two back-to-back half-centuries. The left-hander is a vital player given his stroke-playing ability. Hyderabad will need Pooran to go big in next game.
Umran Malik:Â The tearaway pacer has been amongst the wickets for the team for the majority of the season. However, he has had two bad games where the batters have taken him to cleaners. Umran will be looking for redemption in the next game.
Probable XI:Â Kane Williamson (c), Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Shashank Singh, Sean Abbott, Shreyas Gopal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kartik Tyagi, Umran Malik
Team News
Bangalore: The team broke their three-match losing streak against Chennai in their last game. With that win, they have registered six wins and need to win at least two games out of their remaining three. The win against the defending champions might have done their confidence a world of good. However, they would need players such as Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell to score big with the race for the top four intensifies.
Key Players:Â
Virat Kohli:Â The former skipper is having the worst form in his Indian T20 League career. However, in the last two games, he has showed glimpses of his former self. With the kind of player he is, he could make it big in the next game.
Wanindu Hasaranga:Â The all-rounder has been the underrated performers for the team. He has picked important wickets in the middle overs to put brakes on the opposition scoring rate. He will be virtal for the team in middle overs
Probable XI:Â Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood
Match Details
Venue: Wamkhede Stadium, Mumbai
Time: 03:30 PM IST
Live Telecast:Â Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report:Â The pitch has helped spinners in the last few games. A day ahead of the game, Punjab and Rajasthan will play each other on the same venue which means that there could be a wear and tear on the surface, making the pitch even more slow. Both teams would look to bat first with no threat of dew.
