What One team on an upswing – Sunrisers Hyderabad, and one team which has lost four on the bounce – Rising Pune Supergiants, will clash in Match 22 of VIVO IPL 2016. Sunrisers Hyderabad started the competition with a thrashing at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore; after conceding 227, SRH only managed 182 in their chase to lose by 45 runs. That defeat was followed by an 8-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders. But from week two onwards, SRH have been dominant, surging to wins by margins of 7 wickets, 10 wickets and 5 wickets in their last three outings. Rising Pune Supergiants haven’t tasted success since the opening night of the season. MS Dhoni’s team defeated the defending champions Mumbai Indians by 9 wickets and have since lost four on the trot. In their most recent match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, RPS had a very good opportunity to post their second win of the season. But the bowlers failed to hit the right lengths at crucial junctures and the fielders didn’t have the best of days, as KKR escaped from their clutches to win by 2 wickets with three balls remaining in their run-chase. When 26 April 2016, 2000 Hrs IST Where Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad Weather Temperature: Max 30°c, Min 25°c Humidity: Max 23% Wind: 11kmph The Protagonists

The numbers best illustrate the individuals behind Sunrisers’ success so far. David Warner, with 294 runs scored at the strike-rate of 168, has more than twice the runs of the team’s second-highest run-getter. The captain has led from the front pushing the opposition on the backfoot with his aggressive methods from the word go. Last year’s Orange Cap holder, Warner has scored 59, 74* and 90* in his last three outings and he will sure be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a bowling attack which has struggled to control the run-flow in the last few matches. The combination of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur Rahman has made life difficult for opposition batsmen; the latter in particular has been exceptional, boasting of an economy rate of 5.75 from his full quota of overs in the five matches. Ajinkya Rahane, with half-centuries in his last two outings, holds the key to Rising Pune Supergiants’ success. The opening batsman, who has a reputation of being a technically sound player, has reinforced that he has what it takes to succeed in the 20-over format too. Given the combination used by RPS, it is important that 27-year old looks at batting through most part of the 20 overs. MS Dhoni’s skills at finishing the innings are as good as they’ve ever been; however, there is no doubt that his team will benefit hugely if he promotes himself to number four. Trivia In the three matches played in Hyderabad this season, the team batting first has posted scores of 142-7, 142-6 and 143-6. The team chasing has prevailed in 10 of the last 12 IPL matches played in Hyderabad. In IPL matches at the Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, David Warner averages an incredible 74.55 from 13 matches. He has scored seven half-centuries and a century in those 13 outings. Prior to this current run, the RPS captain MS Dhoni had never previously lost four IPL matches in a row. R Ashwin dismissed Ambati Rayudu with a longhop with the first ball he bowled in VIVO IPL 2016; since then, the off-spinner has bowled 13.5 overs without any success. MS Dhoni has scored 37 runs off 13 balls when he has batted in the final over of the innings in VIVO IPL 2016; his strike-rate in the last over is 284.62. What Next Sunrisers Hyderabad will continue to remain at home and prepare to host Royal Challengers Bangalore next – the match scheduled to be played on April 30. Rising Pune Supergiants meanwhile head back home for their next fixture; they are scheduled to clash with the Gujarat Lions on April 29.