Sunrisers look to keep fragile hopes alive

It's one of the quirks of sport. As the league stage of the IPL draws to a close, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab play a match that's as good as a final for them. The winner of the match might put an end to the other team's campaign. Both teams can theoretically make it to the top four, but Sunrisers, fifth on the table with 14 points, have a better chance of doing so given their four-point lead over sixth-placed Kings XI.

Sunrisers remaining matches, after this one, include one away game against Mumbai Indians and two home games against Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. It's not as tough a draw as some of the other teams but a loss here would make every match a virtual knockout for Sunrisers.

They have had only one blemish in their home record - the 77-run thrashing that Chennai Super Kings handed them - but with only two wins in four matches, their away record is a concern. A lot will ride on how well their bowlers can contain the aggressive Kings XI batsmen with their batting still being a weak link.

Kings XI are already in a knockout-like situation after their loss to Royals on Thursday. They squandered a solid start and erred by not sending Miller up the order when Gilchrist fell in the 14th over. From 74 for 1 in the 10th over, they could only add 71 in the next 10 overs. A performance on those lines might well bring an end to their campaign