Friday’s 2015 Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore is vital to the chances of both teams of making it through to the post-season play-offs.
The Sunrisers are currently third in the table with 14 points from their 12 fixtures. One more win will probably be enough to send them through to the last four, for the second time in their short franchise history. Their opponents on Friday from Bangalore are just outside the qualifying positions, in fifth place with 13 points from their 12 matches.
Hyderabad received the bad news on Wednesday, that ex-England batsman Kevin Pietersen, would not be joining them on Friday, in time for their final qualifier against the Mumbai Indians, as a calf injury sustained during his epic 355 not out for Surrey in the English County Championship will take two weeks to heal.
However, they have come this far without the services of Pietersen, that they may well be better off not disturbing a winning side. They have after all, won five of their last six IPL fixtures, to rise to their present elevated position in the table.
Royal Challengers suffered a crushing blow to their own hopes on Wednesday, when they lost a 10-over, weather affected thrash to the bottom side, the Kings XI Punjab, who registered just their third win of the 2015 campaign.
A win would actually have place Bangalore second, above the reigning Champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders, on overall run rate. That defeat was just the second time that Bangalore have been beaten in eight games.
When the Sunrisers and the Royal Challengers met earlier in the tournament, the match ended in a comfortable win for the Sunrisers, who chased down their target of 167 for the loss of just 2-wickets, with nearly three overs to spare.