SRH vs KKR IPL 2018 Match 54 preview: Kolkata have to overcome table toppers Hyderabad for place in playoffs

IPL

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have a stiff task ahead of them in the form of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for match 54 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. KKR need to win this game in order to ensure their participation the playoffs. When these two teams met last in the IPL, Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up three wickets as SRH restricted KKR to just 138 in 20 overs. Kane Williamson then led the run chase with his 50 off 44 balls before Yusuf Pathan walked in and added 17* off 7 balls to take SRH to a five-wicket win.

KKR enter this game after a morale boosting victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) that has put them in the driver’s seat in the race for the playoffs. Kuldeep Yadav was the star of that encounter, ending the night with figures of 4/20 and an economy of just 5.00 as KKR restricted RR to just 142 runs. Kolkata then turned on the heat as skipper Karthik (41*) and Andre Russell (20*) powered them to the win with six wickets and two overs to spare.

Sunrisers come into the game on the back of a disappointing defeat to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Riding on de Villiers’ 69 and Moeen Ali’s 65, RCB went on to register a mammoth 218/6 in their 20 overs. Captain Williamson (81) and Manish Pandey (62*) put on a fight for SRH but the total proved too much for them as RCB won by 14 runs.

Timing – 8 pm

Venue – Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.

Where to watch – Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD

Head to head – Kolkata hold an edge over Hyderabad having won eight out of the 13 matches played between the two teams.

Team News:

Both Wriddhiman Saha and Yusuf Pathan missed the previous game due to injuries. If deemed fit they will be slotted into the side at the expense of Shreevats Goswami and Deepak Hooda. Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was rested in the previous game should replace Basil Thampi who was very expensive in their previous game.

Kolkata have been playing well in their previous two outings and won’t be expected to tinker with their match winning combination.

Kolkata who are in a must-win situation will be expected to come out all guns blazing in this contest. They will be tipped to come out on top in this encounter especially as Sunrisers seem to be suffering a rare dip in form in this point of the season.

Betting odds: According to Oddscheker.com, the odds are placed at 11/10 for SRH and 11/13 for KKR.

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Pitch Report: The pitch in Hyderabad has proved tricky to bat on due to its two-paced nature. The track also slows down giving spinners an edge later into the game which Rashid Khan and co. have been known to exploit to perfection.

MC Dream XI: D Karthik (wk), S Dhawan, K Williamson, M Pandey, S Narine, A Russell, S Hasan, B Kumar, S Kaul, K Yadav and S Sharma.

Players to watch out for:

Kuldeep Yadav (KKR) – The Chinaman bowler had his best innings of this season’s IPL in his previous outing. He picked up four wickets including the in-form Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Kolkata will be glad with the way he outfoxed batsmen on the pitch and will hope for a repeat of that performance tonight.

Rashid Khan (SRH) – The crafty Afgani once again spun webs around batsmen in his previous outing ending the night with figures of 3/27 having taken the important wickets of Kohli, de Villiers and Moeen Ali. He is SRH’s leading wicket taker this season with 16 wickets from 13 games and will be looking to add to that tally tonight.

Sunrisers Hyderabad continue to sit right atop the points table with 18 points from 13 games. Kolkata are third on the table with 14 points. Check out the updated points table here.