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Amidst several teams going through captaincy changes, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) held onto their leaders ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. Sanju Samson and Kane Williamson will look to bring stability to the IPL team and solidity at the top of the order when SRH and RR lock horns in Match 5 of IPL 2022 at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday, March 29.
SRH are on the back of an ugly IPL season that saw them finish with the wooden spoon and lose the favor of not only several fans but a few high-profile players as well. With David Warner and Rashid Khan leaving the franchise in seemingly acrimonious circumstances, the Orange Army attempted a rebuild at the IPL 2022 auction. While the squad lacks name value and out-and-out match-winners, a host of young players are ready to prove their worth to the franchise.
Meanwhile, RR have a capable batting lineup and an experienced bowling attack, the latter of which could be a massive difference-maker in IPL 2022. While a few top-order batters might have to play slightly out of position, the inaugural IPL champions have enough firepower and ability to come up with a complete display.
Apart from their captains, both SRH and RR have gone through significant changes. Whichever team adapts quicker to the new 10-team IPL season will come out on top in this edition's first game in Pune.
Check out the full IPL teams owner here.
IPL 2022 Match Prediction: SRH vs RR
SRH have a few combinations to play around with in their batting department. The think tank has mentioned that Abhishek Sharma will open the innings in IPL 2022, and the youngster making the most of his immense talent is a promising prospect. Alongside Abhishek, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Kane Williamson and Nicholas Pooran offer a lot of flexibility in positions.
The bowling attack is where SRH are admittedly a bit thin. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, not for the first time in his career, might have to carry the bulk of the wicket-taking burden. All-rounders make up the spin department, with Umran Malik and the other Indian pacers in the SRH squad having a lot on their shoulders. Big-hitting Romario Shepherd and left-armer Marco Jansen are decent options, but whether they are IPL-quality bowlers remains to be seen.
RR are expected to open with Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Devdutt Padikkal and Sanju Samson taking the other two top-four slots. Followed by Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag, the RR top order can afford to take risks - something SRH might not be able to do.
The spin pairing of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin promises control and the ability to bowl across phases of the innings, while Trent Boult's powerplay expertise could be the ideal foil for Prasidh Krishna to work his wicket-taking magic. RR are a bit short on all-rounders, but they make up for it with four solid frontline bowling options.
The toss has proved to be overly decisive so far in IPL 2022, so the team batting second will have a massive advantage. But on paper, RR seem better equipped to counter the conditions in Pune. Samson could be the happier captain at the end of the encounter.
Prediction: RR to win Match 5 of IPL 2022
