IPL 2024, SRH vs PBKS Preview: Sunrisers Hyderabad eye top-two spot with help from Kolkata Knight Riders

HYDERABAD: Having secured a place in the playoffs after the washout against Gujarat Titans on Thursday, Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to clinch a second-place finish in the points table when they take on depleted Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket stadium on Sunday afternoon.
With Kolkata Knight Riders (19 points) sure to top the table, Sunrisers’ chances of finishing second will depend on the match between Rajasthan Royals and Knight Riders on Sunday night.A win for KKR will help Sunrisers, who need to win against Punjab, to seal the second spot. Rajasthan Royals can finish second with 18 points only if they defeat KKR.
Sunrisers have not taken the field since their crushing 10-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants on May 8. It remains to be seen how they cope with conditions after an 11-day break. It has not rained heavily after the previous game was abandoned, but it has been humid and there is rain forecast for Sunday.

Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma chased down the target of 166 against LSG in 9.4 overs and they look to continue their dominating form going into the playoffs. It would be an ideal opportunity for the middle-order — consisting of Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abdul Samad — to get some much-needed game time before the crucial final phase of the league.
Meanwhile, Punjab, already out, go into this match on the back of a five-wicket victory over RR. However, they will miss the services of their last-match hero and stand-in captain Sam Curran, along with opener Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone who have left for England to prepare for the T20 World Cup.