Shiny Sun look to turn heat on RCB

The Sun is shining bright in Hyderabad. The heat will be on Bengaluru on Thursday night.

The game at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (RGICS) is a mismatch, on paper as well as the points table. Scorching Sunrisers are flying high — third on the table — while a wretched run has kept the Royal Challengers locked at the bottom.

The last time the two teams met, SRH smashed the record IPL total of 287 for the loss of just three wickets, in an away game. At home, they have an allwin record this season, which includes the now second highest total of 277 for 3 against the Mumbai Indians.

It’s orange all the way and RCB are red in the face already, having lost seven of their eight matches. They are surely struggling to strike a balance, evident from the team’s poor form even as star batsman and former captain Virat Kohli leads the batting chart with 379 to his credit.

Runs in the other camp? They are aplenty! Fuelled by fiery starts from openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma — who have pounded the Power Play record score of 125 in 6 overs in the previous match against Delhi Capitals — the Sunrisers have been toying with the cricket ball.

Then, there are Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed ever eager to unpack the big shots that spell trouble for the opposition, whose attack could be led by Hyderabad pacer Mohammed Siraj, who has been off-track of late.

RCB’S not-so-impressive bowlers surely have a daunting task to keep a check on the explosive SRH batters who have thumped totals in excess of 250 thrice this season and are licking their lips in anticipation of another run feast at the RGICS.