IPL 9 Match 8 Preview: Sunrisers Hyderabad prepare to face KKR challenge

The injury-hit Sunrisers Hyderabad will seek to shrug off the losing start to the season by putting on a competitive show against the strong Kolkata Knight Riders. The side is already facing fitness problems with top players being ruled out due to various injuries. However, this can be a boon in disguise as they get the opportunity to test their talented bench strength.

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, looks very settled with an explosive batting line-up along with an equally enticing spin dominated bowling attack. The game will be a riveting contest as the pitch promises to offer even bounce which will encourage aggressive batting.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

If the current form is considered, KKR edge out Sunrisers in terms of raw batting power as their batsmen look in great touch. Robin Uthappa’s failure in the last game is negligible. Skipper Gautam Gambhir, the Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell all look very formidable and provide strength in the batting order. Yusuf Pathan, Colin Munro, and Surya Kumar are largely untested. A big question hangs over Sunil Narine’s inclusion in the team. It would be surprising to see if he is brought in or not.

If Gambhir opts to go without him then the side won’t see any change unless Munro is swapped with Shakib al Hasan for an extra all-rounder. However, if the skipper brings him in, then there can be two changes. Narine can only be brought at the cost of Australian fast bowler John Hasting. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav will also most likely get dropped as it is impossible to think of Gambhir fielding all the four spinners at the same time.

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Sunrisers Hyderabad began on a bad note, losing their tournament opener to a fairly superior Royal Challengers side. But, it was not a negative win as the team did well in parts. Although, their bowling was a total letdown, the batting department did a fantastic job, putting a good fight while chasing a towering score.. Skipper David Warner, who hit a half-century looks in great form and threatened to take his team over the finishing line in the previous game. However, apart from him the batting doesn’t look very compact. Shikhar Dhawan, Naman Ojha, Deepak Hooda will have to gear up and be ready to give solid performance.

Injury to Ashish Nehra comes as big blow to the team which is already missing the services of injured star players Yuvraj Singh and Kane Williamson. The team possesses “depth and quality” in their squad and can afford suitable replacements. In the absence of Nehra, either of Trent Boult or young fast bowling sensation Barinder Sran will get a chance to enter the playing XI. Sran seems to have better chances as including Boult will make Warner sacrifice one foreign player which doesn’t seem to be a possibility. Mustafizur continued to mystify the opposition and had a good game (except his last over of the spell against Sarfraz Khan). He will be the X-factor for the side.

Probable XI:

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

David Warner (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Moises Henriques, Naman Ojha (wk), Deepak Hooda, Eoin Morgan, Ashish Reddy, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mustafizur Rahman, Barinder Sran

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Robin Uthappa (WK), Gautam Gambhir (C), Manish Pandey, Colin Munro/Shakib Al Hasan, Suryakumar Yadav, Yusuf Pathan, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine/John Hastings, Brad Hogg, Umesh Yadav

Stat attack:

1. Since the start of 2013, Shikhar Dhawan’s highest score in all T20s is the unbeaten 73 he scored against Mumbai Indians in May that year.

2. Yusuf Pathan averages 99.50 against Sunrisers, with 199 runs in six games at a strike rate of 184.25.