IPL 2022, RCB vs SRH: Royal Challengers Bangalore look to tame resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad have found their men this season. At the halfway mark of the IPL’s league phase, both teams have at least two men each who have delivered. For RCB, the man of the moment is Dinesh Karthik. The Mike Hesson-helmed think-tank’s wisdom was questioned when the 36-year-old was picked for Rs 5.50 crore considering his age and the fact that he doesn’t feature much in domestic cricket.

But the wicketkeeper-batsman has allowed his bat to answer the critics with 210 runs from seven outings, during which he has been dismissed only once. At a strike rate of 205.88, Karthik has turned the match in RCB’s favour on more than one occasion. He found an able ally in Shahbaz Ahmed, who has contributed 171 runs thus far. From the middle-order looking brittle to becoming a force to reckon with, these two men have proved to be fine finishers and able anchors.

SRH, on the other hand, have found their go-to men in Aiden Markram (190 runs) and Nicholas Pooran (113). They will make for an interesting subplot when the two southern heavyweights face each other at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday night. The contest will be a clash between teams high on confidence and horsepower. RCB have had one of their best starts, winning five of their seven matches. SRH, after a slow start, have found form with four consecutive wins.

Kane Williamson and his men will take heart from the fact that all their victories have come while chasing. Bowling has been another highlight of both teams.

RCB, known to chop and change, have stuck to a combination which has paid off. In three matches, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has proved to be lethal and with Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj, has formed a formidable