On Tuesday, DC take on SRH in an away encounter, and a win is only what they would settle for. Axar Patel & Co. haven’t really set the stage on fire as yet, but have been going about their job quietly. Tristan Stubbs has been their best batter so far, with 169 runs in 5 matches, closely followed by KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi — 168 each, showing the batting unit has been consistent to say the least.
Somewhat similar is the case with bowling, where none of them has been exceptional — but decent enough. Lungi Ngidi has been their best bet with 7 wickets, while Axar Patel has 5. All-in-all, a team with the complete package. But against SRH, bowlers will have a big test — who generally look for totals beyond 200-220. In fact, Hyderabad’s bowling seems to be clicking finally, with Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain adding firepower.
SO, DC need to be fully prepared, and maybe look at some changes. Insidesport takes a look at the predicted DC playing XI vs SRH.
Get in Prithvi Shaw instead of Pathum Nissanka
Even though Nissanka is a brilliant batter, but the ploy to play him has failed so far. He has only scored 128 runs, and that is not good enough. Prithvi Shaw could be a good option. He hasn’t played in the IPL since 2024, must be raring to go, and of course has a point to prove. There is also the option of Abhishek Porel, who strikes at 149 in the IPL.
Batting doesn’t look enough, get in Vipraj Nigam
Vipraj has played three matches, but hasn’t been a regular feature. Since the batting depth isn’t the best, it is best in the interest of the team, that Vipraj is included. Apart from providing a spin-bowling option, he can whack the ball a long distance. In T20s, his strike-rate is over 158. If Ashutosh Sharma is the impact sub, then these two can cause major harm to the opposition.
Need for Kyle Jamieson
Since Nissanka is out, there is room for another foreign player, and that could be Kiwi Jamieson. In all T20s, he has picked up 117 wickets in 105 matches at an economy of 8.41, while he scores at 127. He is a good batter lower in the order. In the absence of Starc, some more solidity is added to the bowling.
DC predicted XI
Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul (WK), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (C), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Kyle Jamieson, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan.
Impact Sub: Ashutosh Sharma.
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