What Sunrisers Hyderabad rejoin the VIVO IPL 2016 campaign after a 5-day break when they take on the Gujarat Lions in Match 34. Both teams are evenly matched on both batting and bowling fronts, and therefore one can expect a keen contest. SRH are slotted in the middle of the table with four wins from seven outings. David Warner’s side began the competition with two crushing defeats, but have since posted convincing wins on four occasions. The team is expected to field its first choice playing XI in this match; Yuvraj Singh is expected to bolster the SRH middle-order having recovered from the injury that forced him to sit out the seven matches so far. The left-hander brings plenty of the table – experience, ability to win matches single-handedly and a few handy overs of left-arm spin. The Gujarat Lions had won six of their first seven matches, but have since lost two on the bounce. It is their much-vaunted batting line-up that has been found wanting in their recent two defeats. Against Kings XI Punjab, they slumped to 39 for 5, before eventually finishing at 131-9 – 25 short of the target. Against the Delhi Daredevils, their formidable top four collectively contributed only 45 runs. Just like winning is a habit, teams can often lose momentum and hit a slippery patch; the Lions will be aware of this and will be keen to arrest this slide here. When 6 May 2016, 2000 Hrs IST Where

Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad Weather Temperature: Max 31°c, Min 27°c Humidity: Max 52% Wind: 7kmph The Protagonists

Skipper David Warner holds the key where Sunrisers Hyderabad’s fortunes are concerned. The left-hander, the team’s top run-getter, is one of the few impact players in the tournament; when he gets runs, he gets them quickly, demoralises the opposition and almost always runs away with the match. The inclusion of Kane Williamson adds a bit of calm to the proceedings, and if he can accumulate runs at the other end, SRH are sure to post a competitive total on the board. On the bowling front, SRH have three bowlers who are in rhythm; Ashish Nehra has had a very good year so far, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has good returns so far this season – striking especially early on, while Mustafizur Rahman continues to bamboozle batsmen with his bagful of variations. The Gujarat Lions need their batsmen to win them matches. In Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch and Suresh Raina, they have four of the best in business. However, they’ve not quite fired in the last couple of matches, and the team will be keen for them to return to their destructive form one saw in the earlier matches. Death overs bowling is an area of concern for the Lions; despite the presence of Dwayne Bravo – who is an established death overs specialist, they’ve conceded more than 10.5 runs per over in the last five and that is an area that certainly needs improvement. Head to Head Sunrisers Hyderabad handed the Gujarat Lions their first defeat in the IPL. When these two teams met at Rajkot on April 21, SRH restricted the home side to an under-par 135-8 and then cruised to a commanding 10-wicket win on the back of half-centuries by David Warner (74) and Shikhar Dhawan (53). Trivia

David Warner held the Orange Cap after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s previous fixture. Since then, Virat Kohli (current Orange Cap holder with 433 runs) and Gautam Gambhir (393 runs) have gone past his tally of 386 runs. Sunrisers Hyderabad are only one of two teams – the other being Kolkata Knight Riders – to have used the same opening pair so far in the competition. In the seven matches so far, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have been involved in stands of 35, 18, 4, 137*, 90, 0 & 28. The Gujarat Lions have the top three scores in the Powerplay overs; they scored 72-0 v RPS, 72-1 v RCB and 71-0 v DD. If Yuvraj Singh finds a place in the SRH XI, it will be the fifth IPL team he will have represented. The left-hander has previously been part of Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors India, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils. What Next

Sunrisers Hyderabad head to Visakhapatnam for their away fixture against Mumbai Indians, scheduled to be played on May 8. The Gujarat Lions will be seen in action later on the same day – 8pm on May 8 – when they clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.