Jaisoorya clashes with Travishek as Royals' bowlers take charge

Travis Head's record-breaking powerplay with Abhishek Sharma in 2024 is still iconic, but RR's opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are making waves, pushing boundaries of T20 history. SRH know their top-order can still do the job: Travishek made their third 100-plus powerplay score in their previous match, against Punjab Kings. What will worry SRH is how their middle order then fell away, struggling to - at times, even being reluctant to - go for the big shots on a slow deck. They scored 120 for 2 in the first eight overs, then 99 for 4 in the next 12. Their middle order is now going to face up against RR's all-round bowling attack: if Jofra Archer doesn't get you with his pace, then Purple Cap holder Ravi Bishnoi lies in wait with his spin. To compound matters, SRH's own bowlers looked toothless in the face of a clinical Punjab Kings chase. They have been given three 200-plus totals to defend this season and have pulled it off only once. Ishan Kishan's quick tweet about Praful Hinge's IPL debut didn't quite pan out as planned. Turns out, Hinge was meant to be an Impact Sub later, but SRH went with Unadkat instead. Now, with a pacier pitch in Hyderabad, Hinge might finally get his chance. SRH could also bring in Livingstone to strengthen their middle order, having fielded only three overseas players last time. Heinrich Klaasen's been solid with the bat, but SRH's struggles aren't helping. His strike rate's dipped to 140.45 this season, and he's looking to pick up the pace, especially in the death overs. A quicker knock on Monday could give SRH a much-needed boost. Ravi Bishnoi joined his new team, RR, after having his worst-ever season last year. He leaked runs at 10.83 an over and had an average of 44.55. From there, better control over line and length - with a remarkable dip in hit-me balls - has brought those numbers down to 8.76 and 12.66 respectively. The Hyderabad pitch is known for its true pace and bounce, which will present an interesting backdrop to Bishnoi's stock ball: the rapid googly. SRH's middle order's got runs on the board, but they're struggling to accelerate, sitting seventh in strike rate at 141.35. Meanwhile, explosive openers like Head-Abhishek and Sooryavanshi-Jaiswal are lighting up the season with run rates of 13 and 12.5 respectively. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's chasing a record - fastest to 1000 T20 runs, needing just 99 more in potentially one more innings to equal Brad Hodge and Shaun Marsh's 23-inning feat. The Hyderabad home venue, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, is one of the most brutal grounds in the country for bowlers. Pitch number three, where the game will be played, is a flat, mixed-soil deck where spin overs go at a run rate of 10.91. Pace does slightly better, at 9.41, so both teams might predominantly use their fast bowlers. It will also be a hot evening, with the high humidity making the temperature in the low 30s (Celsius) feel like a lot more.