NEW DELHI: It's
Pat Cummins
vs
Virat Kohli
as an in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad face last-placed
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad aim to unleash their powerful batting lineup on a struggling RCB in their return-leg fixture.
Having surpassed the 250-run mark three times in this IPL season, Sunrisers Hyderabad are pushing the limits of T20 batting with their aggressive approach.
A day before the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad's social media shared a photo of Cummins shaking hands with Virat.
While Mumbai Indians were the first to suffer from SRH's newfound batting strength this season, RCB faced the full force of their power-hitting when the Travis Head-led batting lineup propelled the 2016 champions to the IPL's highest-ever total of 287/3 in Bengaluru.
SRH's dominant performance against Delhi Capitals, which included a record 125/0 in the powerplay, raised the possibility of breaking the 300-run mark for the first time in IPL history.
It wouldn't be surprising if SRH managed to achieve the extraordinary against RCB's vulnerable bowling attack, which has been struggling significantly, evidenced by their best bowler, Yash Dayal, being 24th in the overall list with seven wickets.
Sitting at the bottom of the table, RCB have conceded at least 180 runs in their last five matches, and their last two opponents scored totals exceeding 200.
Meanwhile, SRH are comfortably in third place with 10 points from seven matches.
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