Kings XI take on Sunrisers from 3pm on Sky Sports Cricket, when England's Stuart Broad and Dawid Malan will join us in the studio
Saturday 21 April 2018 20:05, UK
Here's what's in store in the Indian Premier League today...
Kings XI Punjab host IPL table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 3pm. Sunrisers, expertly led by New Zealand's Kane Williamson, have won all of their games so far in the tournament, while Kings XI - after years in the IPL doldrums - are contending near the top of the table for a change thanks to two wins in three, and the return to form of a certain Chris Gayle at the top of the order.
Sunrisers are the IPL's form team, successfully chasing in each of their three wins. Sandwiched between convincing nine-wicket and five-wicket wins over the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, however, was a nervy one-wicket triumph over the Mumbai Indians, which required No 11 Billy Stanlake to score the winning run off the final ball - set 148 to win, Sunrisers had been cruising at 62-0 and 135-5 before four wickets fell for one run, leaving it up to Stanlake.
Kings XI are one of Sunrisers' closest challengers early in the season, with a slim defeat to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their second game the only blot in their copybook so far. The bowling has been solid, if unspectacular, but the batting has been explosive! KL Rahul blasted an IPL-record 14-ball fifty in the opening win over the Delhi Daredevils, while Gayle signalled his IPL comeback by smashing 63 off 33 balls in their latest win over the Chennai Super Kings - a thrilling clash which saw MS Dhoni (79no off 44) get his side within four agonising runs of Kings XI's total.
The spinners are set to steal the show. Kings XI have offspin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Afghanistan's 17-year-old future star Mujeeb Ur Rahman, while Sunrisers have Mujeeb's international teammate - the ancient, by comparison - 19-year-old legspin sensation, Rashid Khan, as well as IPL veteran left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan.
Kings XI captain Ashwin and his Afghan apprentice's stats are near-on identical, with Ashwin claiming four wickets at 21.25 apiece, conceding 7.08 an over and Mujeeb striking slightly less often - three wickets at 25.00 - but proving a little less expensive (6.81). It's nothing compared to Rashid, however, who has a staggering economy rate of 5.58. Shakib, meanwhile, has been a vital contributor to Sunrisers' winning start, particularly the latest success over Kolkata, taking 2-21 - including a stunning caught and bowled to dismiss the dangerous Chris Lynn for 49 - and then contributing 27 to a half-century stand with Williamson.
There might not be quite the feast of England cricketers on offer as there have been on previous days; Alex Hales and Chris Jordan could feature for Sunrisers but, given the IPL table-toppers are unbeaten, they may well end up waiting a little while longer to get their first opportunity of the tournament. Kings XI, meanwhile, are England-less.
Two members of England's Test team - paceman Stuart Broad and batsman Dawid Malan - are back again to provide further insight and analysis in the studio. We'll also be hearing from Broad on a special Sky Cricket Podcast - download via skysports.com/cricket on Thursday afternoon.
Sky Sports will continue to show every IPL game live, so fans from all over can enjoy the best of Indian cricket.
