Qualifier 2: Can Trent Boult dismiss Travis Head early? Will Sanju Samson take on SRH’s slower ones?

Find the boundary, and often

Six-hitting has emerged as one of the key metrics in a season that has threatened to tip the scales in the game. Scoring rapidly has been a bigger objective than preserving wickets. Royal Challengers Bengaluru scored the most runs in the tournament while losing the most wickets. Knocked out by a relatively under-performing batting unit in RR in the Eliminator, RCB are still one of three teams to score over 10 runs per over in the season, the others two being KKR and SRH.

Sunrisers have best limited the percentage of dot balls (30.21) while batting and been the most prolific six-hitters with a maximum every 9.59 deliveries. They top the charts with 166 sixes, followed by RCB (165). Meanwhile, KKR, who have struck a maximum every 10.6 balls, have maintained the best run rate in the league (10.70). The stability in their batting also shines through as they have lost only 74 wickets in 13 innings.

While Rajasthan have been relatively underwhelming with the bat, it is to be noted that the four teams with the highest boundary-hitting frequency made it to the playoffs.

Royal bowling line-up

Royals’ prowess with the ball was a key aspect in their win over RCB in the Eliminator.

Among the four teams that qualified for the playoffs, the Royals have been the most consistent bowling side across the three phases of play. They have the best dot-ball percentage and have only conceded a six nearly every 23 balls in the Powerplay — eight balls better than the second-best, Sunrisers. RR also have the best economy rate (8.26) with the new ball.

Rajasthan Royals’ Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal (LEFT) and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma. (PHOTOS: PTI)

Relying mostly on their five-bowler theory, RR’s economy rates do not suffer too much across the middle and slog overs either, helping them control the scoring on most days. While Kolkata have bagged the most wickets (100) in the tournament, with as many as six bowlers taking 10-plus scalps to exemplify strength in depth, their profligate rates in the Powerplay and the death have been a concern.

However, KKR have emerged on top in the middle overs, where the spin craft of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine has been crucial to their fortunes.

Despite not being the best with the ball, Sunrisers have been wreaking otherworldly carnage with the bat.

Qualifier 2 between Sunrisers and Royals in Chennai thus pits two sides with contrasting strengths. The previous encounter between these sides in Hyderabad went down to the wire, with the hosts grabbing a one-run win.