The Eighth Match Of KKR Vs SRH Would Be Played At Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi:
In the eighth game of the Dream11 Indian Premier League ( IPL) 2020, one of these two teams will surely open their account in the points table as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will have a face-off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
While SRH lost their first game of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), in their season opener, the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated KKR, led by Dinesh Karthik.
For SRH, they were looking to win their first game against RCB in contention. But they didn’t enjoy a good outing with their middle-order and it was SRH ‘s undoing. Though Jonny Bairstow and Manish Pandey did their bit, the other SRH batsmen did not have much.
After their loss against the Mumbai Indians, KKR would also want their batsmen to come out well. KKR will need a lot more from their batting unit while Dinesh Karthik scored 30 and Pat Cummins scored a quickfire 33, and will hope their bowlers are hunting in a pack.
It is SRH who has an upper hand with three wins in their last five games, and KKR will be ready to make it 3-3 over the three-year cycle as the teams face off for the sixth time.
Here are the five players who may make a difference in the game to be played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, as both teams aim to add two points to their account.
1. Jonny Bairstow
During SRH’s first game of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he was in top form with the bat, and SRH will want him to come out well again as they look to seal their first win of the season.
2. Sunil Narine
While Sunil Narine, could not score many runs against MI, during the KKR-MI game, Narine, the bowler, was the most economical bowler, scalping a wicket, conceding only 22 runs. He might be someone KKR might turn to when they bowl against the likes of Jonny Bairstow and David Warner in the powerplay.
3. Manish Pandey
In addition to David Warner and Bairstow, Manish Pandey will be crucial for SRH’s batting order to work smoothly. In SRH’s first game against RCB, a clean ball striker, Pandey, scored 34. However, against his former IPL squad, he will be looking to contribute more with the bat.
4. Andre Russell
During KKR’s first game of the season, the West Indian all-rounder did not have a successful outing. But Andre Russell is going to be trying to have a big game and contribute to the team’s win. Russell will be a crucial player for KKR with his big-hitting abilities and ability to help with the ball and on the field.
5. Rashid Khan
In SRH’s first game of the season, the Afghanistan leg-spinner went wicketless. But Rashid Khan is an established match-winner, with an immense ability to turn a match’s tide in the span of a couple of balls. It will make for a fascinating watching of how he goes about his company against the KKR heavy hitters.
Wild Card:
1. Shivam Mavi
During KKR’s opening game of IPL 2020 against MI, Shivam Mavi, the former India Under-19 World Cup winner, was impressive with the ball in hand. Though KKR ended up on the losing side , two wickets were picked up by the right-arm pacer. It will be fascinating to see how Mavi fares against the likes of David Warner, Jonny Bairstow and Manish Pandey, among others, after having bowled well against the likes of Rohit Sharma and Co.
Statistics:
1. KKR at this venue: Played 4, Won 1, Lost 3
2. SRH at this venue: Played 1, Lost 1
Approaching Milestones:
1. Andre Russell needs 89 runs to complete 1500 IPL runs
2. Siddarth Kaul needs 1 wicket to complete 50 IPL wickets
3. Sunil Narine needs 5 sixes to complete 50 IPL sixes
4. Sandeep Sharma needs 5 wickets to complete 100 IPL wickets
