The Rajasthan Royals face off against Sunrisers Hyderabad today at 7:30 pm at Pune's MCA Stadium in the fifth match of the 2022 IPL. This is a fresh start for both teams after a dismal 2021 run. The Royals, under Sanju Samson, managed only five wins to finish seventh, whereas Hyderabad struggled significantly, finishing last with a mere three wins in 14 appearances.
Rajasthan Royals will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the fifth match of the 15th edition of IPL 2022. The match is scheduled to be played today @ 7:30 pm at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Both the teams had a forgettable previous season. Rajasthan Royals led by Sanju Samson finished seventh place after winning only five out of their 14 matches, while Sunrisers Hyderabad ended the league stages in the last place with just three wins in 14 games in IPL 2021.
Both franchises used the recent mega auction to plug holes in their batting and bowling units. After the frustrations of last season, both RR and SRH are desperate for a convincing win to kick off their campaign. The spotlight will be firmly on captains Sanju Samson and Kane Williamson as they lead their respective sides.
Despite some questionable results as a captain, the Royals still have full confidence in Sanju Samson. The 27-year-old veteran has accumulated 3,068 runs across 121 games. Known for his reliability, the Kerala-born batter has consistently scored over 350 runs in the last five seasons. Coming off a strong previous year where he notched a century and two fifties, he is expected to be a primary run-scorer once again.
Kane Williamson, often pigeonholed as a traditional Test specialist, proved his T20 prowess back in 2018. During that stellar run, the SRH captain amassed 735 runs at an impressive average of 52.50, leading his team to the finals before falling to CSK. However, his form dipped last season, managing only 266 runs in 10 games. Hyderabad supporters are now hoping to see the captain return to that peak 2018 form.
Looking at the bowling attacks, both teams are well-matched in the pace department. The Royals rely on Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, and Navdeep Saini, while the Sunrisers counter with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarajan, Umran Malik, and Sean Abbott. However, the Royals hold a slight edge in the spin department, boasting the seasoned wicket-taking duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.
While Sunrisers bring a wealth of experience to the table, the Royals might have the advantage thanks to a more potent batting order. Hyderabad's lineup lacks the raw power-hitting needed to dominate. Given that the Pune pitch generally favors batsmen—though early movement is expected—those who play their shots well should be rewarded. Fans are anticipating a high-scoring, thrilling encounter.
The pitch in Pune is for batters to score runs, but the ball will move around in the initial overs. Batters could be rewarded for their stroke-play. Fans expect the match to be an exciting high-scoring contest.