IPL 2018: Players to watch out for in Punjab vs Hyderabad clash today

Having a ball in IPL after three wins in a row, Hyderabad will face a stern test against the formidable Punjab line-up when the two teams clash at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday.

Ahead of the clash lets take a look at the players to watch out for in today's game

1) Chris Gayle: Gayle announced his arrival to the eleventh edition of the IPL in style. He scored a blistering 22-ball 50 on his debut for Punjab against Chennai in Mohali on Sunday. He did not stop there as he smashed a 33-ball-63 to end his innings. The Jamaican giant was almost ignored by all franchises in the auctions of IPL 2018 before KXIP stepped in bought him for his base price of INR 2 Crore.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

2) Shikhar Dhawan: The Hyderabad opener is in the best of his form this season. He has not let the franchise feel the absence of their back-bone David Warner. The southpaw is the leading run scorer with 129 runs in 3 matches at an average of 64.5 and a strike rate of 140. With their middle order being shaky, Hyderabad will mostly rely on Dhawan and Williamson to score the bulk of the runs.

3) KL Rahul: After being roped in by Punjab for a whopping sum of Rs 11 Crore, KL Rahul slammed a fastest fifty of the IPL by registering a 14-ball fifty against Delhi in their season opener at Mohali. His performance has been sensational this season with his text-book yet stylish cricketing shots. The Karnataka batsman scored 135 runs in 3 matches with the strike rate of nearly 200 and at an average of 45.

4) Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The two-time purple cap holder hasn't been at his best this season, though he picked 4 wickets in 2 matches with an impressive economy of 7 for someone who bowls at the death.T hat shows the value he adds to the team. But his figures against Punjab were staggering as he picked up 7 wickets in 2 matches with an economy of 5.75 against them in the last season which also includes his career-best figures of 5/19.

5) Mujeeb Ur Rahman: The 17-year-old Afghanistan cricketer made headlines when he was snapped-up for a hefty price of Rs 4 crore by Punjab. Proving his worth, the wrist-spinner delivered a match-winning spell of 2/28 on his debut. His delivery to dismiss Virat Kohli is a testimony of his growing stature as a bowler. The youngster picked up 3 wickets in 3 matches thus far and his economy rate of 6.82 is the best for Punjab in this season.