IPL 9: Sunrisers Hyderabad look to secure play-off berth

Shikhar Dhawan

Mohali: Table toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad will aim to seal their Indian Premier League (IPL) play-off berth when they take on a rejuvenated Kings XI Punjab at the Punjab Association Stadium here yesterday.

SRH will bank on Shikhar Dhawan for a good start. Pic/AFP

With seven wins out of 11, the David Warner-led side would hope to shed their rusty show in the last outing against Delhi Daredevils and ensure their entry into the play-offs with a win today.
On the other hand, Punjab have largely disappointed so far this season, having won just four of their 11 matches.

However, ever since Murali Vijay took over the captaincy, Punjab have been a much improved outfit.

They thrashed defending champions Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in their last match.

KXIP bowlers need to pull up their socks. Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma have done well for the most part, but left-arm spinner Axar Patel has been a bit inconsistent.

Punjab face a do-or-die task in their remaining three league phase matches. Even if Punjab manage to win those games, they will still have to depend on their net run rate to pull them through.

But if they manage to continue their new found form, a ticket to the play-offs, although difficult, can not be ruled out.

Hyderabad on the other side, are in a much better position. The visitors have amassed 14 points, with seven wins in their 11 matches.