IPL 2022: Focus on Umran Malik, David Warner as Sunrisers Hyderabad faces Delhi Capitals

Capitals will want Warner to continue his good run, his opening partner Prithvi Shaw to return to form against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

It has been an IPL season to remember for Umran Malik.

When we think of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s campaign at the last IPL, two images could come to the mind. One warmed the heart; the other tugged it a bit. 

The sight of an unknown Umran Malik racing up to the wicket and releasing those thunderbolts excited not just the SRH fan, but everyone except those who would have to face him with a bat.

The other image was an SRH team without David Warner inside the stadium. The Aussie opener, who had been at Hyderabad since 2014 and led the franchise to its only title in 2016, was forced to watch his team’s matches in the latter part of the tournament from his hotel room.

Warner has since joined Delhi Capitals. On Thursday night at the Brabourne Stadium here, he will face some familiar faces as Sunrisers takes on Capitals, with both sides looking to bounce back after losing their last matches (to Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants respectively). With the battles for the playoff spots hotting up, SRH is on 10 points and DC eight.

READ: Parents proud as CSK’s Mukesh Choudhary scythes through SRH

Capitals will want Warner to continue his good run, his opening partner Prithvi Shaw to return to form and skipper Rishabh Pant to explode. It will look to Kuldeep Yadav, who has taken 17 wickets, to spearhead the attack once again.

For SRH, pace has been its ace this season, with Umran and T. Natarajan taking 32 wickets between them. The in-form duo of Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram may not mind support from other batters.