Rajasthan locks horns with Hyderabad

Rajasthan Royals will meet Sunrisers Hyderabad in a clash of former champions here on Tuesday as both teams aim for a winning start in the Indian Premier League 2022.

Skipper Sanju Samson and the dynamic Jos Buttler will be the vital cogs in the Rajasthan batting department, which also includes new recruit Devdutt Padikkal and Yashasvi Jaiswal among others.

Samson has been around the scene for a while now, but has failed to deliver on a consistent basis for his franchise. So, he would like to lead from the front as RR chases its second IPL crown. Rajasthan has an array of power hitters such as Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Rassie van der Dussen and James Neesham to fill up the middle and lower middle-order.

Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna will lead the pace pack while offie Ravichandran Ashwin and leggie Yuzvendra Chahal make up a strong spin-bowling combination.

For Hyderabad, Kane Williamson’s contribution as a leader and with the willow could go a long way in determining the team’s fortunes. Youngster Abhishek Sharma and Williamson are likely to open the batting, with Washington Sundar also an option. SRH spent a lot at the auction to acquire the services of Nicholas Pooran and Rahul Tripathi, so the duo would be keen to repay the faith.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will spearhead the fast-bowling attack that also comprises comeback man Thangarasu Natarajan and Umran Malik.

Off-spinner Washington will look to tighten the screws whenever he operates, with one among Shreyas Gopal or Jagadeesha Suchith expected to partner him in the team’s opener.