IPL 2017: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders, Eliminator – Match Result Predictions

As we have entered the business end of IPL 10,  the fans and spectators are all geared up for the knockout eliminator clash between defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders scheduled to be played tomorrow at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Both the teams have played some terrific brand of cricket in the group stage but KKR’s form in the last phase of the tournament hasn’t been in great.

After leading the points table for a considerable period, KKR lost 4 out of their last 5 matches which pushed them to a corner and denied them a top 2 finish. They have serious match-winners in their squad who has the capability to change the complexion of the match within a blink of an eye and KKR would be hopeful of something of that sort tomorrow.

Their opening combination looks settled with Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine taking the bowlers on in the powerplay overs. More often than not, the openers have given KKR a breezy start which has helped their middle order to take their time and play sensibly. Captain Gautam Gambhir has also been in good form along with Robin Uthappa who has also looked ominous throughout the group phase.

In the last few matches, KKR’s main problem has been their bowling and fielding. The fielding quality has gone down in the previous matches which must be a worry for Gambhir and Co. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad had a topsy-turvy league phase and finished with 17 points. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan are at the top of the orange cap list and have provided the defending champions with sensational starts on quite a few occasions.

The mind-boggling 126 from Warner will be at the back of the minds of the KKR bowlers and they will look to come well prepared to counter the flamboyant opener. Yuvraj Singh will undergo a fitness test ahead of the clash but Tom Moody conceded that they are hopeful of Yuvraj’s presence tomorrow.

Their bowling department has also been high class with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddharth Kaul reaping rich rewards with their brilliant bowling. While Bhuvi has already bagged 25 wickets, Siddharth Kaul is behind him with 16 scalps. The Afghan teenage leggie Rashid Khan has been a gem of an option for David Warner especially in the middle overs and he has not disappointed him bagging 17 wickets so far. So with more than 20 hours to go for the eliminator to commence let us have a look at the match predictions for tomorrow.

Here is what Crictracker predicts for the game:        

Scenario 1: KKR will win the toss

Toss Prediction: KKR choose to bowl

First innings prediction: 155-165

2nd innings Prediction: KKR will win by 4 wickets (with 2 balls to spare)

Scenario 2: SRH win the toss

Toss Prediction: SRH choose to bowl

First innings Prediction: 165-175

2nd innings Prediction: SRH will win by 5 wickets (with an over to spare)

Head to Head Record

Overall: Total Matches –11, SRH Won – 4, KKR Won – 7

KKR have a 7-4 win-loss ratio against the defending champions. In the league phase, both teams won a match each and it was Warner’s heroics in the 2^nd match which took the game away from KKR. It will be a tricky situation to predict the winner but on a personal front I feel, the two-time champions KKR will have their noses slightly ahead.

Team Combinations

Sunrisers Hyderabad

As told by Tom Moody, Yuvraj Singh will undergo a fitness test before the match and if fit, Deepak Hooda might be the possible replacement as Vijay Shankar scored a fluent half-century the other day. Warner will be tempted to field Kane Williamson but at the expense of Mohammad Nabi’s all-round abilities which might be a tough call. The rest of the XI remains the same.

Predicted XI: David Warner (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Moises Henriques, Yuvraj Singh/Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Nabi, Naman Ojha (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Mohammed Siraj

Kolkata Knight Riders

After experimenting with Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine at the top of the order, KKR might opt, to begin with Gambhir and Lynn as the captain mentioned in the post-match presentation in the last match. After getting hit on the head on 3^rd May, Nathan Coulter-Nile is expected to make a return at the expense of Kiwi pacer Trent Boult.

Predicted XI: Gautam Gambhir (c), Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Colin de Grandhomme, Sunil Narine, Nathan-Coulter Nile, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Ankit Rajpoot.

It will be tricky to predict the winners given both teams have played some tremendous cricket in the league but on a personal front, I feel KKR will go on to emerge victorious in the knockout clash.

Do let us know your predictions in the comments section below.

Note: This is purely a random call taken by the author.