The Rajasthan Royals have pulled off a couple of amazing how-on-earth-did-that-happen wins this season, and RR will look for a more serene encounter when they host the struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2014 in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
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The game is scheduled for an 8 pm IST (3.30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) start with live coverage on Sony Six (English) and Sony Max (Hindi) in India. The game can also be watched via live streaming online HERE or HERE. Watch the game in the US through Willow TV or via the live streaming option HERE, while Canada viewers can watch the games on Sportsnet or HERE. Viewers around the world can live stream the action HERE or HERE.
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The Royals were down and out in their last game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, before a turnaround for the ages, where they took six wickets in two overs, saw them steal victory from the jaws of certain defeat.
The mood in the camp, after that thrilling win, will definitely be upbeat, and Rajasthan, currently third in the table with five wins from seven matches, will look to ride that positive wave against the Sunrisers.
"We are at the halfway stage and it is a good position to be in," RR mentor Rahul Dravid said. "We have played good cricket, we have won some close games and the team has shown the fighting spirit that we are known for. That is the heartening thing to see, that kind of attitude, irrespective of results, in all the seven games."
The Royals will play all their home matches in Ahmedabad this season, and after pulling off a dramatic win in their first home game of IPL 2014, the finely-tuned unit will be confident of making it two home wins in a row.
"Ahmedabad has always proved lucky for RR in the past," Dravid added. "We have a good record here and the fans here are equally passionate about the game. I am sure that local fans will see RR as their own team as Ahmedabad doesn't have their own team in the IPL. I hope that fans will support us in the upcoming games."
Meanwhile, the Sunrisers are staring at the possibility of missing out on the playoffs this season, with the Hyderabad franchise only managing two wins in their first six matches so far. A win over the Royals is a must to keep their hopes of finishing in the top four alive, and team mentor Kris Srikkanth admitted it was necessary for his team to treat every match now as a must-win game.
"This is a crucial match against the Rajasthan Royals and I am sure Ahmedabad will prove to be lucky for the Sunrisers Hyderabad," Srikkanth said. "The lower half of the points table is pretty cluttered and every match from now on is going to be important for every team.
"For us, the best way is to keep winning -- something that we did the last time around and booked a place in the final four. We will have to go and play our natural game and try and beat everyone. We have to play to the best of our capacity. We have had some close encounters in our previous fixtures and it is time to get into the winning habit."
The Sunrisers would have not been in such a precarious position had they managed to pick up a win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their previous game, with that unbelievable innings from AB De Villiers proving the be the difference.
SRH will look for some similar individual brilliance from their star-studded team as well, with captain Shikhar Dhawan the primary candidate to put his hands up and make an impact.
