IPL 2018: Match 54, SRH vs KKR- Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won their last two matches and are in a positive frame of mind. The whole unit has responded well to the pressure and carved the important victories. However, they are yet to cement their spot in the top-four of the T20 league. They don’t have a decent NRR and that makes their next match tomorrow versus the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) a must-winning.

The hefty defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI) may come back to haunt them if they don’t manage to qualify. The team has limited players to choose from. In our article, we take you through KKR’s probable lineup against SRH at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Openers (Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn)

Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn will remain as the openers. Narine has turned out to be a force to reckon with inside the field-restrictions. He doesn’t shy away from playing his strokes and that has taken the Knight Riders to breezy starts on a number of occasions. He has been rattled at times by the short-pitched deliveries but is still effective enough to get the priceless runs for his team.

Lynn hasn’t played the kind of knocks he is known for, but racked up 370 runs thus far in the tournament. He has bided his time and has shown patience. The Queenslander needs to be on top of his game against the Sunrisers in order for the Knights to have a lid over the hosts. The franchise will hope for both Narine and Lynn to deliver.

Middle-order (Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), Shubman Gill)

The middle-order has no death of quality and skills. At no.3 Robin Uthappa hasn’t quite hit his straps. However, with an experienced head on his shoulders, he is expected to deliver his best in crunch match. Nitish Rana is a tad out of form, but he has the potential to demolish the best of bowling attacks. The left-hander is a vital cog in their lineup and is likely to bat at a key position in the middle order.

Dinesh Karthik has arguably been KKR’s most formidable batsman this season. He has churned out some useful runs at a brisk rate to help the Men in Gold and Purple to respectable totals as well as victories on quite a few instances. Shubman Gill scored a half-century against CSK and put forth his prowess with the willow, but hasn’t got many opportunities after that.

All-rounder (Andre Russell)

Russell has been phenomenal for the Knight Riders with both bat and ball. He currently has the most number of sixes (26) for KKR in the tournament and the record manifests the impact he has had for the franchise. Earlier, he strained to make an impression with the ball but steadily has found his rhythm, which will keep him in good stead ahead of the all-important encounter.

Bowlers (Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna)

The bowlers were erratic to start with in their erstwhile encounter against RR. However, they managed to storm back courtesy of Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket haul. Meanwhile, Shivam Mavi will find it hard to stay put in his position after his not so impressive spell in the last match. Piyush Chawla has every chance of coming back into the mix.

Also, the pitch in Hyderabad is likely to assist the spinners and Chawla’s inclusion might not be a bad choice for the Knights. Kuldeep will hope to carry forward his touch against SRH and get a stranglehold on their batsmen. Javon Searles impressed in his debut IPL match versus Kings XI Punjab but didn’t get to bowl in the last match. Sunil Narine and Andre Russell are the remaining bowlers.