Can Sunrisers Hyderabad overcome bowling woes against wounded Royal Challengers Bangalore?

It might be a bit too early, but with two contrasting defeats in the first two games, it's easy to wonder if Royal Challengers Bangalore are headed for yet another forgettable season. In the tournament opener, they were spun out for 70 by Chennai Super Kings on what looked like a typical fifth-day subcontinent track. In the next match, chasing 188 against Mumbai Indians, they were denied victory by a combination of Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga, and a missed no-ball.

One thing Royal Challengers seem to have figured out early this time is their best combination. When they face Sunrisers Hyderabad at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, the challenge will be to make that combination work.

Sunrisers, on the other hand, are facing a new problem. Their ever-reliable bowling attack that has orchestrated so many wins in the past seems to have gone off the rails a bit, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar having bowled two 20-run overs at the death in as many games. If the Royal Challengers openers can provide their side with a good start, the home side's bowling attack could once again be in for a stern test.

David Warner's impressive show with that bat has been a big positive for Sunrisers. While the opener's 85 in the first match against Kolkata Knight Riders couldn't fetch Sunrisers a win, his 37-ball 69 against Rajasthan Royals on Friday steered the side to their highest successful chase in the IPL. So far, Sunrisers' top order has made up for the middle-order muddle, and with a 5-1 head-to-head record at this venue, they would be hoping to carrying forward the momentum.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Shahbaz Nadeem, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Siddarth Kaul, 11 Sandeep Sharma

Royal Challengers Bangalore 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Umesh Yadav, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Mohammed Siraj