KKR vs SRH Match Preview
KKR has been reunited with Gautam Gambhir as mentor and we are sure he is going to leave a big mark on the way the unit shapes up. We don't think KKR has a particularly strong side for IPL 2024 but it does have a few big upgrades from last season.
Shreyas Iyer is back and might be available to play. Rinku Singh is also a seasoned international T20 specialist while Rahmanullah Gurbaz has grown in stature as well. You can never count out Andre Russell or Nitish Rana and there is always the chance that Sunil Narine may not be as terrible with the bat as he was last season.
Iyer being available will have a lot to do with how KKR ends up performing.
AMong the bowlers, Mitchell Starc has struggled in white ball cricket over the last few years but is he still good enough to dominate the IPL? We think so. Alongside players like Chetan Sakariya, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy, KKR might be able to put together a decent bowling lineup.
SRH has a problem of plenty and picking its best four overseas players is not going to be easy. We think Wanindu Hasaranga might be the one to miss out but it could quite easily be Aiden Markram as well. Travis Head, Pat Cummins, and Marco Jansen seem certain to play at this point.
Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi will add the local batting heft while Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Mayank Aggarwal, and T Natarajan bring the experience.
Weather Report
The weather is likely to be warm and humid, and we might see some dew during the second half of the game.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Eden Gardens is excellent to bat on. In the 7 matches played here last season, the average first-inning score was over 190 runs. So we can safely expect a run-fest in this match. The quicker bowlers will get some help with the new ball and the batsmen have to be a bit careful during the Powerplay.
However, the pitch gets progressively better to bat as the match progresses. The spinners who bowl a tight line will be rewarded with wickets.
Notable stats
Bhuavneshwar Kumar: IPL Great
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar was the leading wicket-taker for the Sunrisers Hyderabad last season. He picked up 16 wickets at an average of 26.56 and a bowling strike rate of 19.12.
Team News
Jason Roy and Gus Atkinson are unavailable for the Kolkata Knight Riders for the entire season. They have been replaced by Phil Salt and Dushmantha Chameera. The Sunrisers have a fully fit squad at their disposal. However, details regarding availability of Wanindu Hasaranga are awaited.
KKR vs SRH Probable 11
KKR Playing 11
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk)
- Shreyas Iyer (C)
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Nitesh Rana
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Sunil Narine
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Mitchell Starc
- Chetan Sakariya
- Vaibhav Arora
SRH Playing 11
- Travis Head
- Abhishek Sharma
- Rahul Tripathi
- Heinrich Klaasen (Wk)
- Washington Sundar
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Pat Cummins (C)
- Marco Jansen
- Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
- T Natarajan
- Mayank Agarwal
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Kolkata Knight Riders to win this match. They have a star-studded batting line-up consisting of some of the biggest strikers in the league, including Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, which will be a big advantage, especially on home turf. On the other hand, the Sunrisers have a relatively unsettled unit and could take some time to find its feet.
The team also lacks quality domestic players and is heavily dependent on the 4 overseas players to deliver the good.
Top Picks
Heinrich Klaasen: Klaasen was the leading run-scorer for Sunrisers last season. He scored 448 runs at a strike rate of 177.07.
Rinku Singh: One of the biggest finds of IPL 2023, Rinku Singh scored 474 runs last season at a strike rate of 149.52.
Andre Russell: A quality all-rounder, Andre Russell scored 227 runs last season at a strike rate of 145.51 and also picked up 7 wickets.
KKR vs SRH Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: H Klaasen (VC), R Gurbaz
Batters: R SIngh, S Iyer, T Head, N Rana
All-rounders: A Russell (C), M Jansen
Bowlers: M Starc, P Cummins, V Chakravarthy
