IPL 2020: SRH vs KXIP Game Plan 2 – Kings XI’s need to tighten up the death overs

SRH vs KXIP – The twenty-second match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab, could all be about match-ups. We take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the twenty-second game of the IPL – SRH vs KXIP

SRH vs KXIP – The death overs

With a solitary win from 5 games this season, Kings XI Punjab sit at the bottom of the table. Much of this can be attributed to some extremely appalling death bowling. Going into the tournament, KXIP had three options for death bowling; Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell. However, post the first game where Jordan had a forgettable outing, he was dropped and the subsequent games saw Neesham and Gowtham take up the responsibility in Jordan’s absence. Jordan returned in the game against CSKbut the result was not very different. Cottrell has lost his skipper’s trust for death bowling after Tewatia’s assault at Sharjah.

KXIP bowlers have an economy of 15.88 this season and have conceded a six every 5 balls in overs 17-20. None of their bowlers has actually executed it wells in the death overs. Conceding 57 in 3 overs against DC when half their side was back in the hut, losing it when RR needed 83 from 30 balls, bowling Neesham and Gowtham to the Pollard-Pandya pair, etc have been some of the highlights of KXIP’s death bowling this season.

However, they will not find a better day to get things right. SRH with a lower-middle order comprising of Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad and Abhishek Sharma is relatively inexperienced and KXIP might just have the upper hand there. The trio did some extraordinary work against CSK when they were 70/4, and definitely have the potential to succeed yet again, but the experienced trio of Shami, Cottrell and Jordan will fancy their chances against this lineup than any other lineup in the tournament.

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All they need to make sure is they get the top 4 of the SRH lineup dismissed before the death overs, or they might be in for yet another miserable show with the ball. For SRH, they would like at least one of their top 4 bats through till the end and the youngsters to bat around them.