Hyderabad won the toss and have opted to bat first.
Top Fantasy Picks - All Rounders
Glenn Maxwell has not yet joined the party this season. But that means he is due for a good performance. The last time he faced Hyderabad in the UAE (2014) he had scored 95 (43 balls).
Abdul Samad has so far not got any opportunities with the bat, however the 40 runs which he has scored so far have come at a SR of 181. His part time leg spin can also give some points if he takes a wicket as he already has taken one against Chennai.
Abhishek Sharma has shown great potential in the matches he has played for Hyderabad and we only expect him to get better as the tournament progresses.
Top Fantasy Picks - Bowlers
Mohammed Shami has picked up the wicket of Kane Williamson twice, David Warner and Manish Pandey once each in his last 5 matches against Hyderabad.
Rashid Khan has taken a total of 11 wickets against Punjab (highest by him against an IPL opponent) in just 6 matches.
T Natarajan is the only fast bowler who has looked good and is in form in the Hyderabad camp. He went wicket-less in the last match against Mumbai , but in all the other matches he has atleast taken one wicket.
Top Fantasy Picks - Batsmen & Keepers
David Warner is the leading run scorer for Hyderabad this season with 175 runs. He has an average of 54.60 against Punjab in the IPL (highest for him against current IPL teams)
KL Rahul been in sublime form in this year’s IPL ; sitting at top of the table in terms of runs scored (302 runs in 5 matches).
Mayank Agarwal is not far behind with 272 runs and is 3rd in the list
Preview
Match 22 of the Indian T20 League sees Hyderabad take on Punjab in Dubai. The former had started off slowly but won 2 games on the trot before losing to Mumbai. The latter have been disappointing with 4 losses out of their 5 games. Hyderabad will have a question with Bhuvneshwar Kumar ruled out of the tournament. The positive for them in the previous loss was that Sandeep Sharma bowled well while Natarajan has proved that he is a vital cog. They also have a trump card in the name of Rashid Khan who gives them a vital advantage in the middle overs. The batting though, is a worry, as it is still over-reliant on their top four batters. Punjab, on the other hand, sit at the last position on the table and will want to start gathering points. Their openers have been on fire, but their middle order is still looking shaky. However, it is their bowling which has been their kryptonite as in this edition, they have been the team leaking the most runs at the death (overs 17-20). The 10-wicket loss against Chennai could see either Cottrell or Jordan make way for the inclusion of Mujeeb.
Hyderabad at Dubai : Played 4, Won 3, Lost 1
Punjab at Dubai : Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2
Probable XI
Hyderabad : David Warner (C), Jonny Bairstow (WK), Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Kane Williamson, Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Rashid Khan, Siddharth Kaul, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma
Punjab : KL Rahul (c,wk), Mayank Agarwal, Mandeep Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Jordan