Tilak Varma shared that he sustained a serious muscle injury after the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite this setback, the young left-handed batsman, instead of taking a break from domestic cricket and letting his body rest, put too much load on it again and further aggravated the injury.

Tilak spoke about a significant highlight during the India A tour to Bangladesh in 2022, when he had to retire hurt in the middle of the game. At that time, he was already signed with the Mumbai Indians, and Akash Ambani intervened, contacting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure Tilak received proper treatment. The batter admitted that arriving even a few hours later at the hospital could have been life-threatening.

“I was playing an India A game in Bangladesh. After a point my eyes became watery, I was not even able to lift the bat and all my nerves were hard. I retired hurt and came out. Akash Ambani called me right away. He spoke to the BCCI and they helped me a lot. At the hospital, they told me it could have gotten worse if I had come even a few hours later. It was that bad. Even the needle was not going in. I just wanted to come out alive,” Tilak said on ‘Breakfast with Champions.'

Tilak Varma Credits Coach and Early Struggles for Mental Toughness

Tilak also credited his childhood coach for believing in him even before he was selected for the Hyderabad team. The 22-year-old explained that his resilience and mental strength stemmed from the challenges he faced in his early years.

See Also: 'I Wanted an Upright Stance for Bouncy..' – Shreyas Iyer reflects on his new batting technique after AUS vs IND 2nd ODI

“My coach told me that he knew I would make it big and become the number one player. He would tell me this even when I had not started playing for Hyderabad yet. Many people also went against me and told things to my coach. But he never listened to anyone and worked a lot on me. There were times when I even fell at people's feet asking for just one opportunity to play. That made me a hard person. People say I do well under pressure. But I have seen such things that make me hard and all this feels like nothing,” he said.

Tilak played a crucial role in the 2025 Asia Cup final, scoring a calm and composed half-century against Pakistan to help India win a low-scoring thriller in Dubai. He is set to return for the Indian team in the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, starting Wednesday, October 29.

Tilak Varma has developed into one of the most talented young batters in Indian cricket, but he once felt butterflies in his stomach when he met his idol, Rohit Sharma. The left-handed batter from Hyderabad spoke about his first meeting with his idol and how exciting the experience was.

Speaking on Breakfast with Champions, Tilak took the fans back to the 2022 IPL season - his first year playing for Mumbai Indians. He recalled that during the COVID-hit season the team was staying at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai and he was excited to meet Rohit.

"It happened in 2022 during COVID. We were at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. I was sitting there waiting to meet him, and Rohit did not show up for the first two days. On the third day, I saw him everyday at the morning breakfast area with his family. I took some juice and just sat there in one corner to see him," shared Tilak with a laugh.

Tilak Varma remembers the first time he met Rohit Sharma

The young batter admitted he was way too shy to approach Rohit directly. "I wanted to speak to him but I was scared. Afterwards, one of the media guys told him about it, and he called me to his room. We just chatted for a long time,” he added.

Watch the video:

Tilak Varma talked about his first meeting with Rohit Sharma and how he developed a strong bond with Rohit and his family.🥹❤️

The bond between him and Sammy.🩵 pic.twitter.com/9sefVHqi0l

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) October 23, 2025

ALSO SEE: BBL 2025 gets green light for pakistani stars after PCB decision

That interaction held a special place in the young player’s mind, and he has since become a key member of MI’s middle order. He has played 54 IPL matches, in which he has scored 1,499 runs at an average of 37.47 and a strike rate of 144.41.

Tilak also reminisced about his very first game at Wankhede Stadium against the Chennai Super Kings where he witnessed a sea of yellow that once greeted MS Dhoni. “When Mahi bhai, comes, people remove their blue jerseys and wear yellow. When he is out, blue comes back again,” he stated with a smile.

From a starstruck boy waiting to finally meet his idol to an automatic selection in MI’s playing XI, Tilak Varma’s journey encapsulates the wishes and emotions of every young cricketer who dares to be brave and dream big.

The Rajasthan Royals may have fell short in the Finals, but Sanju Samson’s performance as captain and batter were as impressive as ever through the tournament. As a skipper, Sanju Samson remained calm and tactical, using DRS well, and attacking the batters without much hesitation. Despite being on the wrong side of most tosses, Sanju Samson managed to lead his side to a lot of wins batting first, which explains volumes about his captaincy.

On quiet a few occasions, Rajasthan were left defending below par or just par scores, and such moments helped bring out the best of Sanju Samson the captain. He was willing to experiment, using just five specialist bowlers, but at different stages, and as a captain he played a massive role in bringing Rajasthan a lot of wins batting first.

As a batter, Sanju Samson impressed just as much. He was dropped from the Indian side towards the end of the season, but the announcement didn’t deter Samson as he continued to go out all guns blazing. Generally, a Sanju Samson season has a couple of seventies in the first two games and a string of low scores through the season, before another decent score in the end of the tournament.

The scores in the beginning of the season are often enough to win games for his side single-handedly, but his lack of consistency didn’t help them as they failed to qualify in previous seasons. Through IPL 2022, Sanju Samson has been batting with immense freedom. He does not worry about taking risks, and has been one of the fastest batters at the start of an innings, along with Prithvi Shaw.

He used his gifts and talents well, looking at ease on occasions where the others struggled. An example of his talent would be the qualifier two. With Rajasthan’s batters struggling on a two-paced wicket, Sanju Samson walked out and looked as though he was batting on a different surface. He was facing one of the best bowling attacks in the league, and was snubbed from the Indian team a few days before, but he continued to make statements, walking out and launching Yash Dayal into the crowd straightaway.

His assault helped as Jos Buttler struggled for fluency early on, but was able to find it as the innings went on. Sanju Samson kept taking risks on his way to another decent score, and showed why he should be on the Indian team. He displayed the talent and potential that has been spoken off a lot, but towards the end of his innings, Sanju Samson also showed why he isn’t on the Indian team.

See Also: Brendon McCullum’s White Ball Targets in Red Ball Cricket: 2022 – Cricket Winner

Looking so fluent and batting with a sense of effortlessness, Sanju Samson was out suddenly, against the run of play, wasting a strong start and a chance to take his side far ahead in the game. His dismissal can help bring out the debate between top-order batters who accumulate patiently and those who go hard and score quickly but do not score too many.

See Also: GT vs RR ; 74th Final 3rd IPL Betting Tips and Match Prediction – Rock Odds: Sports Betting Odds Comparison & Betting Tips

While Sanju Samson had many promising knocks ruined by small moments, he still finished with some wonderful numbers. He scored more than 400 runs and went at a strike-rate above 150, which speaks volumes about his intent and consistency to score runs at a fast pace. The composition of his runs have also been impressive as Samson scored with equal ease against pace and spin.

Although Rajasthan didn’t end with the title, they will be pleased with how Sanju has gone in this tournament. As a skipper he showed a lot of promise, and with the bat Sanju Samson has reached a phase where he can be confident with his game. His international career may be in the balance, but as a cricketer, Sanju Samson is entering his best phase, and he will be hoping to make maximum use of the good days in store.

Five IPL finals, five titles. One, now, as a captain in his first season with a team making its debut and representing his home state of Gujarat. Player-of-the-Match performance in that final, including the wickets of the big three of the opposition. Yet, Hardik Pandya’s bigger goal in life is to win a World Cup with India. Moments after he collected the winners’ trophy and finished his other obligations, Hardik was asked what his short-term and long-term goals were now that he had completed a successful comeback after injury troubles had taken away his bowling, and consequently his place in the Indian sides.

“Absolutely to win the World Cup for India no matter what happens,” Hardik said. “I am going to give it everything I have. Always been that kind of guy, to put the team first. For me the goal will be simple: to make sure my team gets it the most.”Playing for India has always been kind of dream come true no matter how many games I have played. It has always been a pleasure for me to represent the country. The kind of love and support I have got, it is only from the Indian team point of view.

Long term, short term, I want to win the World Cup no matter what happens.” Hardik has come close to winning a world title with India on three occasions, but all three ended in heartbreak. In 2016, his final over against Bangladesh carried India into the semi-final of the T20 World Cup but India lost to West Indies. In the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan next year, he displayed some of his hitting prowess in a scarcely believable inning, but it was too little and too late. In the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup, Hardik and Rishabh Pant carried out a mini rescue after three early wickets, but New Zealand eventually prevailed.

Must Read: Gujarat win the IPL 2022 FINALS by 7 wickets, emerge as champions in their debut season!

Hardik aiming for World Cup after winning his first IPL in his debut season

In the IPL, though, Hardik has won every time he has got to the playoffs, four times with Mumbai Indians and now with Gujarat Titans. Asked if this was a little extra special, Hardik said yes, but only just.” Obviously, this will be a little special because I have won it as a captain,” he said. “The four that I have won before this are equally special too. Winning IPL is always special. I consider myself very lucky that I have played five finals and have lifted the trophy five times. Obviously, this will leave a legacy because we are a new franchise, playing for the first time, and we are champions in the first season.

But the four that I have won before this were equally special.”It will also come as personal vindication for him and coach Ashish Nehra, who invested more energy in putting together a strong bowling unit. They went into every match with six frontline options – if you count Hardik the bowler – and Rahul Tewatia as a seventh back-up bowler. Hardik said this was their philosophy from pretty early on.”Specifically, we both [Nehra and he] lean towards the bowlers,” Hardik said. “People say T20 is a batters’ game but I have always maintained that bowlers win you matches.

Because if the batters don’t get a par score, if you have a gun bowling line-up, the bowlers can pull things back. We have always given ten runs fewer [than par]. Even when others have conceded 190, we have gone for ten fewer. Those ten runs win or lose you matches in the bigger picture.”For me and Ashu pa [Nehra], when we were starting, we wanted to create a strong and experienced bowling unit. So that even if there are times when batters don’t click, you can pull back with the bowling.”

Indian Premier League 2022, FINALS: The Narendra Modi Stadium is all set to come together to witness the final showdown of the IPL 2022 season with Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals. In the last qualifier match Rajasthan Royals had eliminated Royal Challengers Bangalore after a loss against Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 1 match. So far Gujarat Titans have had consistent victories over Rajasthan, but given the intense table turning matches we may be in for a surprise. 

Gujarat Titans are booked to play the Rajasthan Royals in the terrifically significant last of IPL 2022 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Hardik Pandya-drove side will be certain subsequent to winning the Qualifier 1 against a similar group and they bested the association stage too. They are probably going to adhere to a similar playing XI notwithstanding the bowlers going for a couple of in the past game.

Then again, the Rajasthan Royals overwhelmed the Royal Challengers Bangalore totally in Qualifier 2 to make the last of IPL 2022. The Sanju Samson-drove side has one of the most mind-blowing bowling setups and the in-structure hitter Jos Buttler plays had a significant impact for the RR in their batting arrangement in the last two games. Nonetheless, they will realise that it won’t be simple against Gujarat Titans who have tracked down ways of winning in tough spots. The team has significantly improved and have made strong comebacks this season under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy.

The last experience at the arena was generally an uneven game, with RR beating the competition against RCB. There was a great deal of help for the quick bowlers with the new ball while the additional skip got the job done on occasion. The captain that wins the throw will be supposed to bowl first as they can pace the innings well and have opportunity and energy to survey the circumstances too.

 As per prediction, the best player of the match is likely to be Hardik Pandya, he played another game dominating thump in the past game close by David Miller and he has moved forward on significant events for the Gujarat Titans this season. The captain has been in great touch in the last two innings and plays partook in his part at number four particularly. With 453 runs in 14 games at a normal of 45.30, Pandya will hope to complete the competition on a high.

The best bowler of the match is likely to be Rashid Khan, he was the champion bowler for Gujarat Titans in the past game and he figured out how to surrender only 15 runs in four overs, in a high-scoring experience. The Afghanistan spinner will be vital to the plans of the Gujarat establishment once more in the last of the release and he can pivot games from a tough spot. He has gotten 18 wickets such a long way in the competition and will be hoping to add more to his count.

Needless to say, the fans are holding their breaths for the last match and it is expected to be nothing less than nerve wrecking and intense. We are all waiting to see, will Gujarat keep up their winning streak against Rajasthan and become the ultimate winner or will Rajasthan break that cycle of defeat? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Preview

GT vs RR: And then there were two. GT and RR are the only teams left in the contest, and both are proving that they have been the best in the tournament. For GT, this will be their first IPL Final, while RR are playing in only their second Final after making it back in 2008. Another interesting stat is that GT is only the third debutant team to make the Finals after CSK and RR made it back in 2008.

Both teams have had similar templates coming to this point. They stocked up their bowling attack, with Rajasthan using the auction to acquire bowling stars from other teams, while GT found a lot of variety in their bowling attack. Both teams have also relied on a certain set of superstars with the bat, while Jos Buttler has been the light of the Rajasthan batting line-up.

Match Details

Match: GT vs RR

Date: 29th May 2022

Time: 8:00 PM IST

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Weather Report

The Ahmedabad weather is clear with no chance of rain ahead of the GT vs RR Finals.

Pitch Report

The surface has more bounce than the ones used in Mumbai and Kolkata. There is some hardness, and batting should be easy, however with the pressure of a final around and too sides strong with their bowling, batting second will be a better option.

GT vs RR Predicted Playing XI

GT Playing XI

Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya (capt), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal

RR Playing XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (capt & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy

See Also: Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, The Old Warriors Showing What Could Have Been: 2022 – Cricket Winner

Team News

GT may bring back Lockie Ferguson for his extra pace, in place of Alzarri Joseph. RR are likely to remain unchanged.

See Also: LSG vs RCB ; 73th Qualifier 3rd IPL Betting Tips and Match Prediction – Rock Odds: Sports Betting Odds Comparison & Betting Tips

Key Players

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler has four centuries this season and is in the form of his life. He has dictated the tournament with his batting, and irrespective of the results, Buttler is likely to go home on Sunday with a lot of awards to his name. His form though will be crucial against a strong bowling attack as Buttler can make a strong early statement in the Finals.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has never won an IPL trophy but is one of the most prolific bowlers in the tournament. He has had a lot of success in the franchise circuit and will be eager to add another title to his table. With Jos Buttler raging in the opposition, a lot of responsibility will fall on one of the best T20 bowlers as he looks to restrict one of the best T20 batters in the World, currently.

GT vs RR Match Tips

Both teams came this far with their bowling might and some heroic moments with the bat. They have strong units, but given the depth in GT’s line-up, they may have a better chance to win unless Jos Buttler manages to get the better of Rashid and co.

Match Prediction: GT will win the match.

Preview

RR vs RCB: RCB needed another team to help them on their run to make the playoffs, but are now on moving forward all on their own. They march onto the qualifier two, with a lot of momentum. The fact that they won the eliminator and made 200+ runs without big scores from Faf Du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell shows the ability in the line-up. Rajat Patidar made a century out of nowhere, Dinesh Karthik continued his finishing magic and Harshal Patel was as reliable as ever in the death.

The Rajasthan Royals will still be reeling from their inability to break a huge stand that saw Gujarat go to the finals ahead of them. In the first innings, Rajasthan got off to a sluggish start, with only Sanju Samson looking comfortable. As the innings went on though, Rajasthan threatened to bat Gujarat out of the game as Jos Buttler came up with a brilliant comeback. The bowling though, failed as Ashwin looked off color and Prashid Krishna suffered with his radar at the death.

Match Details

Match: RR vs RCB

Date: 27th May 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Weather Report

The temperatures are soaring in Ahmedabad and are likely to remain high in the evening as well during the RR vs RCB game.

Pitch Report

The Ahmedabad surface is likely to be full of runs having not been used much of late, and batting second will be a better option with dew likely to come in.

RR vs RCB Predicted Playing XI

RR Playing XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (capt & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy

RCB Playing XI

Faf du Plessis (capt), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood

See Also: Washington Sundar, Injury Prone but a Potential Asset to the National Side: 2022 – Cricket Winner

Team News

Both sides are likely to remain unchanged for the upcoming fixture.

Key Players

Sanju Samson

In the Qualifier, Sanju Samson showed his elegance, why he should be in the Indian Team, and just as he took control of the innings he showed his drawbacks. He started the innings well, looking comfortable on a surface which everyone struggled to start on, but failed to kick on to a big score. His story has been similar all season and Sanju Samson will be hoping for a big score as he looks to carry his team into their first Final since the inaugural season. He has been an integral member of Rajasthan Royals over the years and was in the side when they made their last tournament finals as well in the 2013 CLT20.

Rajat Patidar

Rajat Patidar showed that RCB are more than their big three and Dinesh Karthik. With the top stars all scoring lower than expected, Patidar came out and countered the bowling so well. He made his first IPL century, and is now in the spotlight after playing so well under pressure. With another pressure game ahead, RCB will be hoping for at least half of what he did in the first game as they look to make their first IPL Final since 2016.

RR vs RCB Match Tips

On paper both sides look pretty balanced. RCB though, have a side full of match-winners and in a playoff game if anyone of them go well the RCB will game the psychological advantage, leaving them in a strong position.

Match Prediction: RCB will win the match.

Preview

LSG vs RCB: After some drama and help, RCB is in the playoffs for the third time in three seasons. The last two seasons saw them crash out in the eliminator but this season, with a change of leadership, RCB will hope to go a few steps further. They will be buoyed by Virat Kohli’s return to form, and his batting will help them massively as they look to announce themselves as favorites ahead of the playoffs.

LSG made the playoffs pretty comfortably, sealing their place just a few games after the Gujarat Titans. Although they sealed their spot early, they will feel a touch upset about not making the top-two, and will now have to take a tougher route to get to the trophy. The batting line-up, especially the openers, are in wonderful touch and LSG will hope their batting line-up carries them over RCB.

Match Details

Match: LSG vs RCB

Date: 25th May 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Weather Report

The weather forecast has rain predicted through the day, which could lead to some disruptions during the LSG vs RCB match.

Pitch Report

The Eden Gardens surface will be fresh, considering the lack of cricket at the ground in recent months. With rain around though, there may be some dampness and with a wet outfield likely, along with the dew factor around batting second will be a better option.

LSG vs RCB Predicted Playing XI

LSG Playing XI

Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul (capt), Deepak Hooda, Karan Sharma/Evin Lewis, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni, K Gowtham/Jason Holder, Mohsin Khan, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan

RCB Playing XI

Faf du Plessis (capt), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood

See Also: IPL 2022: Qualifier 1, GT vs RR Match Prediction – Who will win today’s IPL Match? – Cricket Winner

Team News

Both sides are likely to remain unchanged for the upcoming game.

Key Players

Quinton De Kock

Quinton De Kock was unstoppable against the Kolkata Knight Riders. With one innings, he has instilled fear in the opposition remaining and has shown what can happen if he is allowed to bat long enough. His 140 will go down as one of the best innings in the IPL, and the knock may give him the required boost ahead of a high-pressure game.

Dinesh Karthik

Among the batters in the Bangalore side, there are not many who will be able to handle pressure better than Dinesh Karthik. His experience and ability has allowed to see a lot, and get through many situations. Furthermore, Karthik has made yet another comeback to the Indian team, and with his finishing skills at its best, he will be a very big factor if the game gets into a tight situation.

LSG vs RCB Match Tips

Virat Kohli’s return to form should put RCB as favorites given their batting line-up. RCB though are historically not that great at handling pressure, and with LSG’s players in equally good form, the mental calmness they may possess will help them in a winner takes all encounter.

Match Prediction: LSG will win the match.

Preview

GT vs RR: After seventy games the top four has been decided and the top two get ready to face off for a spot in the finals. Both teams have looked very strong throughout the tournament, and have come in with similar skillsets. They are sides with strong bowling attacks, while the batting line-up is enough to allow the bowlers to do their jobs.

The Gujarat Titans have made it to the playoffs in their first season, while Rajasthan are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018. A win for the Rajasthan Royals will take them to their first IPL Final since 2008, where the late Shane Warne led them their inaugural trophy. They came in as underdogs then, are contenders now, and are waiting to impress.

Match Details

Match: GT vs RR

Date: 24th May 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Weather Report

The forecast has rain predicted through the day tomorrow, which could indicate in chances of a disrupted GT vs RR game. Irrespective of the rain though, dampness in the outfield could be expected throughout the match.

Pitch Report

The Eden Gardens will be hosting its first game of the season and with rain around, the outfield could be a touch wet. With a fresh pitch and wet outfield, and the possibility of dew, runs are expected, unless the early dampness assists swing in the first few overs. Overall, batting second will be a better option.

GT vs RR Predicted Playing XI

GT Playing XI

Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya (capt), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal

RR Playing XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (capt & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen

See Also: IPL 2022: Match 67, RCB vs GT Match Prediction – Who will win today’s IPL Match? – Cricket Winner

Team News

Both sides are likely to remain unchanged from their previous fixtures.

Key Players

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler has been a key factor behind RR’s run to the top two. He was their best batter in the first half, but has fallen away slightly and will need to be back at his best if Rajasthan are to get past the Gujarat Titans. He is due a big score, and with an inconsistent batting line-up, runs from Buttler are as important as ever.

Sai Kishore

Sai Kishore has already been noticed for his exploits in the domestic circuit. This season, after getting a fair run with the Gujarat Titans, Sai Kishore is doing a great job in maintaining a strong economy and applying pressure on some of the best batters in the league. He is tying down one end on his own, allowing the other bowlers to reap the rewards, and is doing well in a supporting role.

See Also: India’s selection conundrum for T20 World Cup: After such wonderful IPL for new faces, who could make it to World Cup Squad? – Cricket Winner

GT vs RR Match Tips

GT has been dominant all season and they come into this game with a clear chance of winning despite the recent form of Rajasthan and their performances throughout the tournament.

Match Prediction: GT will win the match.

Preview

SRH vs PBKS: The final league game is here and it is one with little substance to what happens to the remainder of the tournament. Both the Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad are out of contention for the playoffs and only have their pride to play for.

The Punjab Kings started the tournament well but failed to kick on as they struggled to build a stable middle-order. Too much chopping and changing in the batting line-up affected their season and building a batting line-up that can remain the same through a season is what they will be targeting next season.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad had similar issues as well. They looked wonderful in patches, threatening to be one of the best sides of the season but lack of consistency affected them. They either won in clumps or lost in clumps and couldn’t conjure wins when the momentum was against them. As a unit, the performances were good, but not enough as the likes of Kane Williamson struggled through the tournament.

Match Details

Match: SRH vs PBKS

Date: 22nd May 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Weather Report

The SRH vs PBKS game will not have any rain disturbances as the weather is clear and warm for the evening.

Pitch Report

The Wankhede pitch is hosting its last game of the season. The track is showing signs of wear after a lot of games and the ball is expected to spin and hold on the surface. Batting first will be a better option on the Wankhede pitch.

SRH vs PBKS Predicted Playing XI

PBKS Playing XI

Mayank Agarwal (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rishi Dhawan, Sandeep Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

SRH Playing XI

Abhishek Sharma, Priyam Garg, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran (captain, wk), Washington Sundar, Marco Jansen/Kartik Tyagi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

See Also: Ravichandran Ashwin, Rajasthan’s Mr.Utility: IPL 2022 – Cricket Winner

Team News

• Kane Williamson has gone home for the birth of his child and in his place Glenn Phillips might get a game as Nicholas Pooran or Bhuvneshwar Kumar step in as captain.

• The PBKS line-up is expected to remain unchanged.

Key Players

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal has had a silent season, and captaincy may have played a role in his lack of freedom while batting. With the middle-order struggling, Agarwal decided to step down the order, but is still lacking runs. With one game left and some freedom now, Mayank Agarwal may be back at his best as he looks to end a decent season on a high note.

Rahul Tripathi

Rahul Tripathi has made a lot of heads turn this season with his batting and fielding. He is aggressive, shows no certain signs of weakness, and can play anywhere in the batting line-up. With a lot of competition though, Rahul Tripathi may not be seen much until next season, and with one last game to make a statement, Tripathi will hope to score big and grab the attention of the selectors.

SRH vs PBKS Match Tips

Both teams have had decent tournaments and the upcoming game promises to be a cracker with strong line-ups on both sides. On paper, and based on performances it is tough to choose a side that comes in with a clear advantage, but the Sunrisers bowling attack may give them a slight boost against an inconsistent PBKS middle-order.

Match Prediction: SRH will win the match.