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SRH won their last encounter by 3 runs against MI.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will go head to head against Punjab Kings in the 70th and last league game of IPL 2022 on 22nd May (Sunday) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Both teams are out of the playoffs contention, so the match turns out to be a potential dead rubber. Sunrisers at one stage were in pole position to make it to the playoffs, but a wretched run of 5 losses on the trot saw their chances dwindle. Although, the orange army would hope to finish off the season on a good note with a win.
The Sunrisers won’t be looking to make any big changes to the team apart from the skipper Kane Williamson, who has flown back to New Zealand for the birth of his child.
Here’s the predicted playing XI of Sunrisers Hyderabad for Match 70 of IPL 2022:
Openers: Abhishek Sharma and Priyam Garg
Abhishek Sharma has been one of the most consistent batters for SRH this season. The opener has scored 383 runs at a healthy strike rate of 132.98. The southpaw has been impressive, especially in the powerplay with his fearless approach at the start of the innings. He has looked equally assured against the spinners as he has smashed the likes of Sunil Narine and Rashid Khan this season, which is no mean feat for a 21-year-old.
Priyam Garg will most likely partner up with Sharma at the top of the order in the absence of Kane Williamson. It is a tough ask to replace someone like Williamson, but the Kiwi has looked out of sorts throughout the IPL 2022. The right-handed batter was impressive in his last outing against Mumbai as he scored a blistering 42 of 26 balls.
Middle-order: Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran(wk) and Glenn Phillips
Rahul Tripathi is just five runs short of surpassing his best run tally in an IPL season. The attacking batter has scored 393 runs this year at a strike rate of above 160. His 76 off 44 in the last match against Mumbai was pivotal in setting up a competing target of 194. The former KKR man has garnered praise from all corners and is in contention for a spot in the Indian team for his performances.
Aiden Markram along with Nicholas Pooran has provided able support to Tripathi in IPL 2022. The duo has scored 600+ runs between them and have bailed out their side on numerous occasions, albeit in losing causes. They will look to finish the season with a big knock before joining their respective National teams. Glenn Phillips is the ideal replacement for Williamson. The batter comes with a reputation of being a T20 specialist for the Kiwis. He was part of the New Zealand squad that ultimately lost the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 final against the Aussies.
All-rounder: Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar has had a disappointing season as the all-rounder has picked up just five wickets at an economy rate of 8.46. The left-hander has failed to have any impact with the bat as well with just 76 runs to his name in IPL 2022. The Sunrisers camp expects a lot more from the talented all-rounder, and Sundar himself would like to silence his critics with a commanding performance.
Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar(c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, T Natarajan and Umran Malik
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will most likely take on the captaincy role in the absence of Kane Williamson as he is also the most experienced member of the squad. The right-arm pacer is well adept at leading the SRH team as he did the same in 2019 when he led the Orange Army in six games during that season. Fazalhaq Farooqi is playing in his first IPL season and while the 21-year-old has looked bright in patches, he still has much to improve and it will be a learning curve for the Afghani quick.
T Natarajan is having a great IPL 2022, barring his horror 18th over against Tim David in the last game when the batter teed off against him. Natarajan will look to shrug off that performance and end his memorable season on a high. Umran Malik is having some breakthrough season in IPL 2022, the tearaway pacer has bagged 21 wickets and is 4th on the list of leading wicket tackers this season. His explosive pace has made him one of the most exciting players this season.
SRH’s predicted playing XI for the Punjab clash: Abhishek Sharma, Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan.
