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Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) faces off against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 65th game of IPL 2023 on Thursday (May 18) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Bangalore.
After getting knocked out of the tournament, SRH will play without pressure and will want to end the season with a couple of wins and play spoilsport in the qualification of hopes of RCB and MI. They were well beaten in their last meeting against GT, with Heinrich Klaasen's half-century being the only positive.
Meanwhile, RCB's facile win over RR has bolstered their chances of making the playoffs, with their NRR also receiving a huge boost. SRH have proved to be somewhat of a bogey side for RCB, who will look to win and put themselves in the driver's seat for qualification.
Let's now look at three Dream11 differential picks for this game.
#3 Shahbaz Ahmed (RCB)
This might be a surprising pick considering he only came on as the Impact Sub in the last game, but Shahbaz Ahmed could play a major role for RCB against SRH. Aiden Markram's side have struggled against left-arm spinners this season, and Shahbaz remains RCB's only frontline SLA bowler.
He hasn't been asked to bowl too often this season. However, on a wicket that has slowed down quite a bit and will grip and turn, unleashing him on the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram is a plan RCB could discuss.
If he's in the playing XI, Shahbaz is certainly worth a punt.
#2 Karn Sharma (RCB)
Karn Sharma has delivered the goods for RCB whenever he has been in the playing XI, and against his former side, he could add to his wicket tally. Taking on the challenging job of bowling well at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karn repaid the franchise's faith in him, picking up ten wickets in six games.
While Wanindu Hasaranga's return kept him out of the playing XI, he has impressed whenever he has gotten the opportunity and should continue that run of form against SRH.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium hasn't been too batter-friendly. So, against an SRH batting lineup struggling for confidence, the wily leg-spinner could be a good punt.
#1 Rahul Tripathi (SRH)
Rahul Tripathi is another player who has flattered to deceive in IPL 2023, with plenty of expectations from him after he broke into the Indian set-up in the T20I format. While he's SRH's second-highest run-scorer, an average of 23.45 and a strike rate of 128.35 doesn't do justice to a player of his calibre.
In game like these, high-impact knocks from players capable of taking bowlers on can prove to be vital, and Tripathi is someone capable of doing that. RCB's powerplay bowling has been their main strength, and if Tripathi can help them counter-attack, a big score could be on for the Orange Army.
It's surprising to see a player with his points potential with a low ownership, but it's a good opportunity for Dream11 players to take a chance on him.
