Sunrisers Hyderabad finished this season’s IPL at the eighth position after winning six out of 14 matches. SRH skipper Kane Williamson couldn’t lead the franchise into the playoffs for the last two years. Even as a batter, Williamson managed to score only 216 runs in 13 matches at an average of 19.63. SRH did not start the season on a good note, losing two consecutive matches. After that, they had a great winning run of five matches in the mid-season and then, they faced five defeats in a row.

Despite such a bad season, some players came up as bright spots for the franchise. Players like Umran Malik and Abhishek Sharma made headlines with their stellar performances throughout the tournament. However, there are some players who failed to showcase their full potential. It cost a playoff spot to the team and hence, SRH might look to release such players ahead of the next season.

Here is a list of 3 such players that SRH might release going into the next IPL

1. Sean Abbott

SRH bought this 30-year old Australian pacer in the mega IPL auction at a final price of INR 2.40 crore. Sean Abbott has experience of playing in the BBL and the IPL when it comes to franchise cricket. However, he has hardly got any chances to unleash his full potential in the IPL.

SRH gave him just one match where he failed to contribute with his bowling skill. Abbott picked up only one wicket by conceding 47 runs in four overs at an economy of 11.75. Even, he failed to contribute with the bat as he scored only seven runs.

Lack of opportunity showed that SRH was not happy with him and thus, they might release him. It will vacate a place for an overseas player and SRH can rope in a better all-rounder for the future. It will provide support to the existing bowling line-up comprising Umran Malik and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

2. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq Farooqi is another overseas player whom SRH can release ahead of the next year’s IPL. This Afghanistan left-arm pacer gained some reputation earlier which led SRH to buy him in the mega IPL auction. Meanwhile, in T20Is, he has picked up six wickets in three matches at an economy of six.

In four One Day matches, he has picked up seven wickets. Keeping in mind this fact, SRH opted for him but, he did not enjoy a good IPL at all. He played three matches where he managed only two wickets at an economy of 9.16. He failed to deliver at the crucial stages of matches due to a lack of experience.

SRH may look to release him as they can go for a better option. They will look to strengthen the overall bowling line-up by adding new pacers or all-rounders to their squad.                    

3. Shreyas Gopal

Shreyas Gopal has been known for his all-round abilities over the years as he has represented several IPL franchises. This year, SRH opted for his services in the hope of a good show again with both the bat and the ball.

However, he didn’t get many opportunities, with SRH preferring Washington Sundar and Jagadeesha Suchith over him. He only got to play one match where he conceded 34 runs in three overs at a high economy rate of 11.33 and picked up one wicket only. With the bat, he scored only nine runs off seven balls.

Hence, SRH can release him as they can opt for a better young prospect ahead of the next year. A better Indian all-round option will help to bring stability to the team. Even they can provide more opportunities to Abdul Samad to establish himself in the team. It will also help Kane Williamson to bring variety to his playing XI.

Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik impressed one and all with his ability to consistently deliver balls at a speed above 150 kmph. While some of his performances did not work out for SRH, a few of them grabbed everyone’s attention. Throughout the 15th edition of the IPL, Malik earned a whopping INR 29 lakh through just the awards that he earned in the 14 games that he played.

The pacer bagged the ‘Fastest delivery award’ in all the 14 games that he played for his franchise, and earned a total of 14 lakh through this segment. Notably, every delivery of the 14 awards was clocked at or above 150 kmph. The youngster kept breaking his own record and went on to register his personal best at 157 kmph while playing against the Delhi Capitals.

He held the record for the fastest delivery of the season almost till the end, but couldn’t take the award home as Gujarat Titans’ Lockie Ferguson placed his ball at 157.3 kmph during the IPL 2022 finals against the Rajasthan Royals and clocked the fastest ball of the season.

Malik earned at least one award in every game that he played

Malik was also awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ twice for his thrilling performances against the Punjab Kings and the Gujarat Titans. Playing against PBKS, Malik bagged the award for registering the figures of 4/28 in his four-over spell. He broke his own record to register his personal best figures of 5/25 against the GT. He won a prize of INR 1 lakh each for the two awards, taking the total to INR 2 lakh.

He was also adjudged as the ‘Game Changer of the Match’ in the above two games against GT and PBKS, thereby winning one lakh each for the awards, and tallying it to INR 2 lakh. In the game against PBKS, when he registered 4/28, he was adjudged as the ‘Most Valuable Player of the Match’ and was awarded a cash prize of INR 1 lakh.

Malik was one of the standout performers this season, which earned him his maiden national call-up for the South Africa T20I series which begins on June 9. To end the IPL 2022 season on a high note, the speedster was recognized as the ‘Emerging Player of the Season’ and was rewarded a cash prize of INR 10 lakh on the final day of the season. Thus, Umran Malik ended his season with a total of INR 29 lakh in the 14 games.

The concluding game of the group stages of IPL 2022 saw Sunrisers Hyderabad contest Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium. With all playoff berths already being sealed the previous night, both sides were looking at a mid-table finish in a dead rubber after accumulating 12 points each.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the side in the absence of Kane Williamson, and he made two changes as Romario Shepherd and Jagadeesha Suchith were included in the XI. Mayank Agarwal also made a few changes as the Punjab side decided to give chances to a few fringe players. Prerak Mankad was included in the XI as the all-rounder was handed a debut by Punjab Kings.

Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers comfortably as they chased down 158 with 29 balls to spare. Liam Livingstone was once again the man of the hour as the powerful batter blazed 49 runs off 22 balls and remained unbeaten. The chase was off to a brisk start as Punjab continued with their all-out attack approach. Harpreet Brar was the star of the show with the ball and was adjudged the Player of the Match as the left-arm spinner finished with the figures of 3/26.

Punjab Kings end the season on a happy note

Meanwhile, Livingstone walked out to bat after the departure of skipper Mayank Agarwal in the eighth over with the score being 71/3. Sunrisers had a chance to get rid of the dangerous right-hander, but Washington Sundar dropped a dolly to give the Englishman a reprieve. Prerak Mankad sealed the victory for Punjab as the debutant hit a four off the first delivery of the 16th over.

Earlier, Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the toss and elected to bat first as the pitch was expected to assist spinners as the game progressed. Priyam Garg, who opened the batting with Abhishek Sharma, fell early to Kagiso Rabada in the third over. Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma kept the Sunriser’s innings flowing as the pair added 47 runs in 35 balls.

Abhishek Sharma overtook Tripathi as the leading run-scorer for SRH this season as the southpaw scored an impressive 43 before being caught at the boundary by Liam Livingstone. SRH were reeling at 96/5 after losing Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram in quick succession. But the pair of Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd stitched a 58-run partnership as SRH finished with a respectable score of 157/8. Unfortunately for SRH, it was far from enough.

Here’s a look at the best memes from the match: 

Hindi commentators watching Indian fast bowlers pic.twitter.com/KeAr2EWwpC

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) May 22, 2022

Today's match of #SRHvPBKS be like : pic.twitter.com/nXagj3kidr

— UmderTamker (@jhampakjhum) May 22, 2022

Today's match #SRHvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/86AOMT11BX

— memes_hallabol (@memes_hallabol) May 22, 2022

Importance of today’s match on IPL 2022 results #SRHvPBKS pic.twitter.com/hxCv8MqmJX

— J  (@jaynildave) May 22, 2022

Dream Bottom 4 for a RCB fan. pic.twitter.com/1Y5rOF1wQi

— Dusted (@Kohliisgoat) May 22, 2022

Congratulations SRH or PBKS 🧡❤️ pic.twitter.com/seYh0dirZ9

— Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) May 22, 2022

Once open a time I used to watch every matches of IPL 🤕 #IPL2022 #IPL pic.twitter.com/ib0DwrHgJi

— VK ☁️ (@suprvirat) May 22, 2022

Today's scene:#SRHvPBKS #PBKSvsSRH #PremierLeague #BCCI #IPL pic.twitter.com/klNCKnxUeE

— ARYAN (@_ThatLankyGuy) May 22, 2022

Sidha playoffs chalu krwao yrr 😐#IPL #IPL2022 #PBKSvsSRH #SRHvPBKS #bhuvneshwarkumar #Mayankagarwal pic.twitter.com/Ued3Lmp6SV

— SportsOnly (@SportsOnlyOG) May 22, 2022

The exact count of the number of people interested in today's match#IPL #IPL2023 #IndianPremierLeague #SRHvsPBKS #PBKS #srh #IndianCricketTeam pic.twitter.com/B0UcrfEfcL

— Madhuri Vasisht 🇮🇳🧘‍♀️ (@TravellinYogini) May 22, 2022

Harpreet Brar took figures of 3/26 in his four-over spell while Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone scored 39 and 49 runs respectively as Punjab Kings (PBKS) ended their season on a high by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) convincingly by five wickets in the last league match of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Brar got all the big wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Aiden Markram as the Orange Army were restricted to just 157/8 in their allotted 20 overs.

Speaking about how the match went by, Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was in charge of SRH, won the toss and elected to bat first. Priyam Garg got dismissed for just four runs by Kagiso Rabada while Abhishek looked in good touch for his knock of 43 off 32 balls. Tripathi and Markram became victims of Brar for 20 and 21 runs respectively with Nicholas Pooran only scoring five runs. SRH found themselves struggling at 96/5 in 14.4 overs.

But Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd, who made a comeback to the side, joined hands together to take their team’s total to over 150 runs. The former amassed 25 runs while the West Indian Shepherd made 26. Nathan Ellis, who also got a place in the playing XI today, took 3/40 in his four-over spell. Arshdeep Singh and Livingstone both delivered a tight spell of 0/25 each.

Chasing just 158 to win, Jonny Bairstow made a fluent 23 off just 15 balls which included five fours. Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed him to bring Shahrukh Khan to the crease at no. three. He mustered 19 off 10 while captain Mayank Agarwal’s calamitous season ended as he scored just one run. In 12 innings, he managed to score only 196 runs at an average of 16.33.

Livingstone came out and did what he does the best, smashing two fours and five sixes, which also brought up the tournament’s 1000th maximum. PBKS raced away to their target in just 15.1 overs to secure their seventh win of the season in a dead rubber match as they finished sixth in the points table. SRH ended up in the eighth spot with just 12 points under their belt. For his match-winning spell, Harpreet Brar was named the Player of the Match.

Meanwhile, here are some of the important stats and numbers from Match 70 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2022:

 413 – Rahul Tripathi scored 413 runs in IPL 2022, the most for him in a season. He had amassed 397 runs in 2021.

3/26 – Harpreet Brar registered his second-best figures of 3/26 in the IPL. His best of 3/19 came against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2021.

23 – Kagiso Rabada took the second-most wickets (23) by a PBKS bowler in an IPL edition. Andrew Tye tops the list for picking up 24 wickets in the 2018 campaign.

6 – PBKS smashed 60-plus score in the powerplay for the sixth time in IPL 2022.

196 – Mayank Agarwal managed to score just 196 runs in 12 innings at a poor average of 16.33 with just one fifty to his name this season.

701 – Shikhar Dhawan reached the landmark of 700 fours in the IPL.

4547 – Liam Livingstone completed 4500 runs in T20 cricket.

1001 – For the first time, 1000 sixes have been hit in an IPL edition.

34 – Livingstone equalled Chris Gayle at the second spot for smashing most sixes (34) for PBKS in an IPL campaign. Gayle also hit 34 maximums in 2019 while Glenn Maxwell tops the chart for slamming 36 in 2014.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) managed to win their last group stage encounter against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 22 (Sunday). The Orange Army tried its level best to compete with the Kings from Punjab, but PBKS was a better side in all departments and won the contest easily.

SRH skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the toss and opted to have a bat first. Young batter Priyam Garg was scalped early, but Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi tried to stabilize the SRH innings. However, none of the SRH batters could convert the starts they got as they finished on 157/8 in their allotted 20 overs.

For PBKS, express pacer Nathan Ellis and Harpreet Brar scalped three crucial wickets each. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada also scalped one wicket but gave away 38 runs in his four-over quota. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and Liam Livingstone did not get any wickets, but they bowled economically.

SRH never looked in the game

In reply, PBKS batters came all guns blazing against the Orange Army. The opening duo of Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan gave an excellent start to PBKS. The remaining work was then done by Shahrukh Khan, Liam Livingstone, and Jitesh Sharma. For SRH, Washington Sundar, Jagadeesha Suchith, and Umran Malik scalped one wicket apiece. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the bowlers for SRH as he scalped two wickets of both openers Bairstow and Dhawan. The left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar was adjudged the Player of the Match for his vital contribution.

With the final group stage game of IPL 2022 completed, Punjab Kings finished in the sixth spot in the points table. Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are the top four teams in the points table.

Here’s the updated points table after tonight’s match:

For the Orange Cap list, click here

For the Purple Cap list, click here

Punjab Kings ended their IPL 2022 campaign on a high, thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets on Sunday (May 22). As both teams were already eliminated from the playoff race, the last league-stage game of the tournament was a dead rubber. SRH were without their regular skipper Kane Williamson and pace spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar handled the reins. The Orange Army put up a below-par show as PBKS comprehensively chased down 158.

Speaking of how the game panned out, SRH won the toss and opted to bat at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. As nothing was at stake in this game, there were considerable inclusions in both camps with the benched players getting a go. Meanwhile, the Sunrisers were pushed on the back foot straight away with opener Priyam Garg perishing for four.

PBKS had the command throughout the contest

The ship was then steadied by Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi, who took SRH past 50. Just when the former looked set to play a substantial knock, he was dismissed for 43. Tripathi and Aiden Markram also got starts but were dismissed for 20s. With SRH batters not converting their starts, PBKS never allowed the scoring rate to go out of control.

Towards the end, Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd played handy cameos as SRH finished at 157/8 in their allotted 20 overs. For PBKS, Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis picked three wickets apiece. In reply, PBKS got off to a fiery start with opener Jonny Bairstow scoring a quickfire 23. Batting at number three, Shahrukh Khan also scored a 10-ball 19, reducing the required run rate even further.

While Shikhar Dhawan was watchful at one end, the others were following the ‘see the ball, hit the ball’ mantra. Although Dhawan departed for 39, Liam Livingstone made sure there was no twist in the tale. The England international scored an unbeaten 49 off just 22 deliveries as PBKS crossed the line in just 15.1 overs, clinching the contest by five wickets.

Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitter reacted to PBKS’ triumph:

Liam Livingstone in IPL 2022:

14 matches
437 runs
36.41 average
182.08 strike rate
4 fifties
29 fours
34 sixes
6 wickets

A Livingstone show, the monster. pic.twitter.com/fKyj0bSXp3

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone is crazy hitter, geez! Such a terrific player.

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 22, 2022

A shame, Punjab couldn’t make it to the Playoffs this year in spite of having Livingstone in such murderous mood @liaml4893 #PBKS #PBKSVsSRH

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) May 22, 2022

1⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣th SIX OF #IPL2022 🤩🔥💥

Fittingly, it comes from the bat of Liam Livingstone 🫶❣️#SaddaPunjab #IPL2022 #PunjabKings #SRHvPBKS #ਸਾਡਾਪੰਜਾਬ @liaml4893 pic.twitter.com/uw8azbADhi

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone hits 1000 SIXES of this IPL 2022.

— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone 🔥#IPL2022 #SRHvPBKS pic.twitter.com/LHm97qbSnc

— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) May 22, 2022

This is the first ever IPL season with 1000 sixes.
Liam Livingstone hits the 1000th six.#IPL2022

— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) May 22, 2022

And Liam Livingstone hits the 1000th six of the #IPL2022, first time in any edition.

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone In #IPL2022 :
14 Matches
437 Runs – 2nd In Ornage Cap
AVG – 36.41
SR – 182.08
4 50s
29 Fours
34 Sixes – 2nd most
6 Wickets With Ball
Some Great Catches
What A Campaign For @liaml4893 👏
Gave his best for King's 💎#IPL2022 #srhvspbks pic.twitter.com/vWqyWl2f9h

— Pratik 🪄 (@122mlongsix) May 22, 2022

When people talk about consistency, they don't talk much about Punjab Kings.

Unmatchable consistency to finish 6-6-6-6 in last 4 seasons.

6 hitting monsters, rightly said.

— RIP Mumma ❤️ (@akashcr699) May 22, 2022

Preview:

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings will face each other in the last group stage game of IPL 2022. Both the teams have been eliminated from the tournament and hence, this match’s result won’t have a significant impact on the points tally. However, both the teams would be hoping to end their journey on a positive note.

Both SRH and PBKS have won 6 out of 13 matches and have accumulated 12 points. SRH won their last game against Mumbai Indians by a mere margin of 3 runs while Punjab Kings lost their previous match to Delhi Capitals by 17 runs.

Match Details:

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, Match 70

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Date & Time: 22nd May at 7:30 PM IST and Local Time

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar

SRH vs PBKS, Match 70 Pitch Report:

This would be the last game of the season at the Wankhede and the pitch is likely to support the batters. Both the teams have an equally great batting line-up and this might be a high-scoring encounter.

Injury News:

Kane Williamson has traveled back to New Zealand and would miss this match.

Also Read: Mohammad Kaif stunned after Ashwin’s performance against CSK

SRH vs PBKS, Match 70 Probable Playing XIs:

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Abhishek Sharma, Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran(w), Romario Shepherd, Washington Sundar, Jagadeesha Suchith, Bhuvneshwar Kumar(c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik

Punjab Kings

Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Mayank Agarwal(c), Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma(w), Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Prerak Mankad, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

Top Picks for SRH vs PBKS Dream11 Match:

Top Picks – Batters

Rahul Tripathi:

He is the leading run-scorer for SRH this season and has made 393 runs in 13 matches at an average of 39.3 and a strike rate of 161.72. He made 76 runs off 44 deliveries in the last match against MI and won the Player of the Match award.

Shikhar Dhawan:

He has not scored more than 21 runs in any of the last 3 innings, however, he is still the highest run-scorer for Punjab Kings. Dhawan has made 421 runs in 13 matches at an average of 38.27 and a strike rate of 122.74.

Top Picks – All-Rounders

Liam Livingstone:

He has played a key role for PBKS in the middle-order and has also taken a few wickets. In the last game against Delhi Capitals, Livingstone picked 3 wickets for 27 runs. With the bat, he has made 388 runs in 13 matches at an average of 32.33 and a strike rate of 177.98.

Aiden Markram:

He is likely to play a key role in this match for SRH in the absence of Kane Williamson. Markram has made 360 runs in 13 matches at an average of 51.42 and a strike rate of 140.07 including 3 half-centuries.

Top Picks – Bowlers

Kagiso Rabada:

With 22 wickets in 12 matches, Kagiso Rabada is the leading wicket-taker for PBKS. Rabada has been in great form recently and has taken a four-wicket haul twice. PBKS would be hoping for some early breakthroughs from Rabada.

Umran Malik:

He is the leading wicket-taker for SRH this season. He has picked 21 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 20, an economy of 8.93, and a strike rate of 13.4. Umran has taken 6 wickets in the last 2 games.

Top Picks – Wicketkeeper

Jonny Bairstow:

He has made a single-digit score only once in the last 5 matches and has some of the best knocks since he has been promoted up the batting order. He has scored 230 runs in 10 matches at an average of 23 and a strike rate of 143.75.

SRH vs PBKS Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for SRH vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Nicholas Pooran, Jitesh Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi (vc), Priyam Garg, Liam Livingstone (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for SRH vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Jonny Bairstow, Nicholas Pooran, Shikhar Dhawan (c), Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram (vc), Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Umran Malik

SRH vs PBKS Risky Captaincy Choices:

Priyam Garg:

He played his first game of the season against Mumbai Indians in the last match. He went on to score 42 runs off 26 deliveries and had a decent partnership of 78 runs along with Rahul Tripathi for the second wicket.

Jitesh Sharma:

He has been the find of the season for PBKS. Also, he has been the first-choice wicketkeeper in the team despite Bairstow being in the playing 11. In the last game against Delhi Capitals, he made 44 runs off 34 deliveries.

Player you should avoid:

Washington Sundar:

He has not been able to deliver a significant performance this season and has been in and out of the playing 11 due to injury. You can avoid him in your fantasy team for this match.

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided on our Telegram channel if the information is available.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will square off against Punjab Kings in the 70th and last league game of IPL 2022 on Sunday (May 22). The game is a dead rubber as both sides have been knocked out of the playoff contention and will be playing for pride. SRH, led by Kane Williamson, were in the driving seat with 10 points and needed three wins in their remaining seven games. But a woeful run that saw them lose five games on the bounce diminished their playoff hopes massively.

The current playoff format gives a deserved advantage to the sides finishing in the top 2 positions after the group stages. Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will clash in qualifier 1 on Tuesday (24th May). The winner will book their place in the final, whereas the loser will get another shot at the finals as they will face the winner of the eliminator in qualifier 2.

Lucknow Supergiants and Royal challengers Bangalore finished in 3rd and 4th place respectively after the group stages. To lift the IPL 2022 trophy they will need to win three games on the trot, a feat achieved only once previously, by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 under the able leadership of David Warner.

RCB and LSG will face off in the eliminator, and the winner will then face the loser of Qualifier 1 (Gujarat Titans or Rajasthan Royals) for a place in the final of IPL 2022. RCB and LSG have their work cut out as Gujarat and Rajasthan have looked in imperious form this year and they will need to bring their A-game if they want to make the finals.

Sunrisers’ insurmountable record

Coming back to SRH’s terrific run in IPL 2016, they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Lions (the now-defunct side) in the eliminator and qualifier 2 respectively. In the final, the Sunrisers posted a mammoth total of 208/7 in their 20 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore and entrusted their bowlers to do the job for them. RCB gave it a proper go but fell short by eight runs as Sunrisers Hyderabad triumphed in the final.

SRH’s win meant that they became the first team ever to win the tournament after playing the eliminators, a record that still holds. IPL 2021 saw Kolkata Knight Riders take a similar route to that of SRH as they managed to win the eliminator and qualifier 2 after finishing fourth in the group stages of the tournament. But KKR failed to emulate SRH’s path as they fell short against MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in the final.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad will be locking horns with the Punjab Kings in Match 70 of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 22. Not only will this be the final league game of the season but also the final match for both these sides. The Royal Challengers Bangalore’s emphatic eight-wicket win over the table-toppers Gujarat Titans ended these two teams’ playoffs qualification hopes.

Both SRH and PBKS will now be playing for pride in this inconsequential clash but more importantly, they would be hoping to bow out with a consolation win. Hyderabad would be hoping to do the double over Punjab having got the better of them by seven wickets in the reverse fixture.

After a huge 54-run win over RCB last week, the Punjab Kings were able to prolong their stay in the tournament. After that contest, they received a setback where they went down to northern rivals Delhi Capitals by 17 runs. On the other hand, the Sunrisers have been inconsistent throughout the season and they would now be without the services of their skipper Kane Williamson for the final game as he has flown back home for the birth of his second child.

Pitch and conditions

Usually, teams prefer chasing at the Wankhede after winning the toss during the evening games due to the conditions being hot and humid and also taking the dew factor into consideration in the second innings. Nonetheless, this match would be played on a used wicket just a day after the clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals. Thus, the surface could wear down as the contest progresses and the spinners might come into play in the second half. Therefore, the captain winning the toss could have a bat first.

Playing combinations for SRH vs PBKS

Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a hard-fought three-run win in the last game against the Mumbai Indians where they survived a huge scare from Tim David’s fantastic batting display. Meanwhile, Glenn Phillips might join the playing XI in captain Kane Williamson’s absence.

Predicted Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan.

Punjab Kings

Even the Punjab Kings would not be interested in making any chopping and changes for their last game of the season which also happens to be an inconsequential one and would prefer going with the same winning XI. It remains to be seen whether skipper Mayank Agarwal would open the innings this time around or will again bat in the middle-order.

Predicted Playing XI: Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Mayank Agarwal (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harpreet Brar, Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh.

SRH vs PBKS Head-to-Head

Played – 19 | SRH – 13 | PBKS – 6

SRH vs PBKS Broadcast Details

Match Timings – 07:30 PM IST

TV – Star Sports Network

Live Streaming – Disney+Hotstar

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings will be facing each other in the 70th match of IPL 2022, to be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. During the last IPL season, both teams did not qualify for the playoffs, with SRH finishing eighth and PBKS finishing sixth. So far in this season, both PBKS and SRH have won six and lost seven matches. Both the teams also have an identical record at Wankhede this season, winning one and losing two matches. When both the teams faced each other earlier in the season, Sunrisers Hyderabad won by a margin of seven wickets. Both the teams are already eliminated from the league and have a chance to test their new talents.

SRH’s skipper Kane Williamson, who has been a liability for the team, will not be playing their final match of the season. However, SRH has Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran delivering with the bat. Priyam Garg scored a 26-ball 42 in the last match for them. Umran Malik and T Natarajan have been exceptional bowlers for the team while they occasionally leak a lot of runs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been highly economical.

Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone have been exceptional with the bat. Livingstone not only has 388 runs but also batted at a strike rate of 178. Kagiso Rabada has been their leading wicket-taker, while Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh were also brilliant with the ball in the last game.

Meanwhile, here are some of the important stats and numbers ahead of Match 70 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2022:

Head to Head: Both the teams have faced each other 19 times in the league, with SRH winning 13 and PBKS winning 6.

1 – Shikhar Dhawan needs to hit one boundary four to become the first player to 700 fours in the IPL.

 1 – Mayank Agarwal needs to take one catch to reach 50 catches in the IPL.

 2 – Rahul Chahar needs to take two wickets to reach the milestone of 100 wickets in T20 cricket.

 2 – Liam Livingstone needs to score two runs to reach 4500 runs in T20 cricket.

 2 – Kagiso Rabada needs to take two more wickets to reach 100 wickets in the IPL. He will then become the first South African bowler to 100 IPL wickets.

 3 – Rahul Tripathi needs to hit three more fours to reach 250 fours in T20 cricket.

 3 – Mayank Agarwal needs to hit three more sixes to reach 150 sixes in T20 cricket.

 4 – Rahul Tripathi needs to hit four more sixes to reach 100 maximums in T20 cricket.

5 – Shikhar Dhawan needs to hit five more fours to reach 50 fours for Punjab Kings in the IPL.

6 – Nicholas Pooran needs to hit six more fours to reach 300 boundary fours in T20 cricket.

6 – Mayank Agarwal needs to hit six more fours to reach 150 fours for Punjab Kings in the IPL.

5 – Rahul Tripathi (393) requires five runs to surpass the most runs scored by him in an IPL season. He scored 397 runs in the 2021 edition.

1 – Shreyas Gopal requires just one scalp to complete 50 wickets in the league.

1 – Gopal is also just one game away from reaching 50 matches in the league.

4 – Abdul Samad is four big hits away from completing 50 maximums in the T20 matches.

93 – Pooran requires 93 runs to get to 1000 runs in the tournament.