Former IPL champions (Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders) will square up against each other in the third match of IPL 2021. SRH will be eager to make a good start to IPL 2021. The Hyderabad franchise finished 3rd in IPL 2020. They have a good all-round unit at their disposal. SRH are strong title contenders.
Kolkata Knight Riders missed out on a playoff spot narrowly last year. This time KKR look a more settled unit. Eoin Morgan will be the captain for the whole season. This will help the team play freely. KKR will be looking to make an early statement in the match against SRH.
SRH vs KKR: Recent form (10 matches)
SRH had a mixed IPL 2021. They were among the many teams who looked down and out at the halfway stage. But they regained their mojo and finished 3rd. They eventually lost out to Delhi Capitals in the second qualifier. SRH have won 5 and lost 5 of their last 10 games.
KKR looked all set to cruise into the playoffs until they lost their way at the fag end of the tournament. They missed out on a playoff spot by a whisker. KKR similarly to SRH have won 5 and lost 5 of their last 10 games.
There is little to choose between the two teams here. It will be a thrilling contest for sure. SRH’s bowling will challenge the might of KKR’s batting.
Which players will be match-winners in this game?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked in great touch in the limited-overs series against England. His fitness remains crucial to SRH’s fortunes.
Rashid Khan’s economy rate (6.24) in the IPL is outstanding. It will be difficult for KKR to overcome his threat.
KKR will be riding high on Shubman Gill’s form and confidence. His starts at the top will be important.
A fit-again Andre Russell will be crucial to KKR’s chances in IPL 2021.
X-factor player:
David Warner’s batting combination of strike-rate above 140 and average above 40 in the IPL is rare. He is SRH’s biggest X-factor.
Eoin Morgan’s captaincy and finishing ability makes him KKR’s most valuable player.
What does stats say about SRH vs KKR?
SRH and KKR have played 19 IPL games against each other.
SRH have won 7 matches. KKR have won 12 games.
SRH’s highest score against KKR is 209. KKR’s highest score against RCB in 183.
SRH’s lowest score against KKR is 128. KKR’s highest score against RCB in 101.
Probable playing XI:
SRH:
David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, T. Natarajan
KKR:
Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Shakib Al Hasan, Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Harbhajan Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi
Pitch:
The Chennai pitch looked difficult to play shots right away in the opening game. If the same pitch is retained then SRH with its bowling attack will fancy their chances against KKR.
Weather Report:
A high of 32 degrees and a low of 26 degrees is expected. There are no chances of rain. Dew might play a big factor and teams will prefer to chase under such weather conditions.
Ground stats:
Teams batting first have won 45% of the games. Teams batting second have won 53% games. 2% matches have been tied. Average score in Chennai is 150-160.
StumpsandBails verdict:
It is a battle between SRH’s bowling and KKR’s batting. SRH start favourites owing to their all-round unit.
