IPL 9: Sunrisers Hyderabad host underdogs Pune

Hyderabad: It’s not very often that a team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni are considered underdogs in any encounter, much less one against the Sunrisers Hyderabad — perennial underdogs themselves.

That is exactly the case, however, when the Rising Pune Supergiants play the Eagles in an Indian Premier League clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday.

Whether it is because half his best men play for another team, or that they were evicted from Chennai where he had enjoyed much success over the last eight seasons, the fact remains that the fabled Indian limited-overs skipper has found the going hard this season with three defeats from five matches — the most recent being a morale-sapping two-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday when they had failed to defend a 161-run target.  

The Supergiants currently languish in seventh on the eight-team table, and even a win on Tuesday will, at best, move them up by one spot. Contrast that with the fortunes of the Sunrisers. After an indifferent start to the season, the Eagles were inspired by a string of rousing half-centuries from captain David Warner as they posted three consecutive victories — two of them at home. They are presently fourth on the table and a victory on Tuesday might see them go as high as second, further entrenching them in the top half of the table.  

Coming to the teams themselves, the Eagles are enjoying a welcome run of form. Their bowlers are doing well and their batsmen, led from the front by Warner (294 runs so far), are mostly in good touch. They have too much momentum on their side and will have the edge against Pune.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has led the attack for the Sunrisers, and the wiry right-arm medium-pacer is the second-highest wicket-taker this season with eight scalps. Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, who had a brilliant outing against the Kings XI Punjab on Saturday, is fourth on the list with seven wickets.

The visiting team’s bowlers have been patchy, with the unheralded leg-break bowler Murugan Ashwin topping the bowling chart with seven wickets. Tellingly perhaps, Ravichandran Ashwin has only one wicket from five games and averages 107 runs. This might go some way in explaining Pune’s woes, which have to some extent been assuaged by the fine form of Ajinkya Rahane, who has so far scored three half-centuries for 223 runs.

Dhoni can expect a warm reception from the Hyderabad crowd on Tuesday, but that’s where the warmth will end. Once the first ball is bowled, the home fans will back their Eagles all the way to get a third home win this season.