SunRisers Hyderabad are back home for a crucial leg, where we will be playing three consecutive matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The first of these will be against Rajasthan Royals on Monday. The season has ebbed and flowed in different directions so far for us, but there have been plenty of positives that give us great confidence going forward. Despite not getting over the line against Punjab Kings in a high-scoring encounter, Abhishek Sharma’s blazing knock and Shivang Kumar’s impressive spell with the ball were key takeaways. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head produced a quintessential “Travishek” display in the powerplay, scoring 105 runs without losing a wicket. This is the third time the duo has crossed the 100-run mark in the powerplay, cementing their status as one of the most dangerous opening pairs in T20 cricket right now. Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, and Aniket Verma contributed later in the innings to take us to 219 runs batting first. As it turned out, the total wasn’t enough to earn us two points, but the bowling attack put up a spirited show in the final overs to take the game deep. Shivang Kumar, playing only his fourth TATA IPL match, displayed great skill and composure on a difficult track to bowl on. He picked up three wickets and has already emerged as one of the most promising young players of the season. While the results have not gone our way, the team has produced some scintillating passages of play. Improved middle-overs bowling in the last two matches, coupled with Abhishek’s blazing exploits and the middle order’s consistency, means we are well equipped heading into this home leg of three matches. SunRisers Hyderabad have an impressive record against Rajasthan Royals, winning 12 of the 21 matches between the two sides. This tally also includes five wins out of six matches played in Uppal. Last season, we recorded the second-highest TATA IPL total (286/6) against RR in Hyderabad, where Ishan Kishan scored a century on his SRH debut. The Men in Orange will be keen to turn the tide during this crucial home leg. SunRisers Hyderabad Squad Ishan Kishan (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Travis Head, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Liam Livingstone, Kamindu Mendis, Eshan Malinga, Shivang Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Krains Fuletra, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, Praful Hinge, David Payne, Brydon Carse, Onkar Tarmale, Sakib Hussain, Amit Kumar, Harsh Dubey, Pat Cummins* Note* — Pat Cummins remains unavailable for selection.