IPL match preview: Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rajasthan are in danger of slipping into the bottom half of the 10-team standings, while the Sunrisers are still trying to get away from their second-last position. If Delhi beat Bangalore, Hyderabad could find themselves in last spot.

The Royals will try to bounce back from resounding defeat at the hands of the Gujarat Titans. Rajasthan director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara labelled that defeat "embarrassing" and all but demanded swift improvement from his charges.

They will be up against a motivated Titans outfit. They want a second title after 2022's maiden success and another win here should put them in a position for a stronger play-off berth. Captain Hardik Pandya is going to be important for the Titans again here.

The match will be played in Japiur, where first-innings scores as low as 118 and high as 202 have been collected this IPL season. The captain who wins the toss will likely opt to bowl first and chase with the bat later.

The Royals and Hyderabad have all but taken it in turns to beat each other in their last five meetings. Rajasthan have three wins to the Sunrisers' two. The Royals were victorious in their first 2023 meeting.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in fine form at the top of the Royals order. He recorded his first IPL ton this season and is a solid partner for England's Jos Buttler through the opening powerplay and perhaps beyond.

There are several excellent leg-spinners on display in the 2023 IPL. SRH's Mayank Markande is among the best. Already capped once by India at T20I level, he could be in for more on the back of a successful IPL campaign.

The Rajasthan Royals are the favourites to beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad - and for good reason. The performance of Jaiswal will be key. Hyderabad could counter the probable result with a strong batting display of their own, though.