Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins make their much anticipated returns to the biggest T20 League.
Preview
The third game of the Indian Premier League is set to be a blockbuster affair. IPL 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders. The match is set to be played on Saturday in the first evening game of the double-header weekend. Eden Gardens will host this mega clash as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc come face-to-face.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made huge investments ahead of the new season. Mitchell Starc is returning to IPL after nine years and was paid over the odds for his services. The left-arm pacer will give KKR fans new hope of winning the title after nearly a decade. The return of Gautam Gambhir will also enthuse new hopes into KKR as the mentor is seen as a massive figure at the Eden Gardens.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had seen Harry Brook score a century at the same venue in an otherwise miserable 2023 campaign. Pat Cummins became the new skipper of the side just weeks before the tournament could begin. Kavya Maran paid INR 20.25 Crores to acquire the services of the Australian skipper.
Match Information
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Match 3
Indian Premier League, 23 Mar 2024, Sat, 7:30 PM IST ,Kolkata
Probable PlayingXI
Kolkata Knight Riders
S Iyer(C), RK Singh, VR Iyer, N Rana, AD Russell, SP Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mitchell Starc, Suyash Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, H Rana
Bench: KS Bharat, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Sakib Hussain, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, AS Roy, Sherfane Rutherford, Vaibhav Arora, C Sakariya, D Chameera, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, PD Salt
Sunrisers Hyderabad
TM Head, RA Tripathi, AK Markram, Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, H Klaasen, Pat Cummins(C), B Kumar, Umran Malik
Bench: UD Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Sanvir Singh, M Jansen, Jaydev Unadkat, Jhatavedh Subramanyan, M Markande, T Natarajan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, K Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Singh, W Hasaranga
Injury News
Weather Report: Clear Sky
Win Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders
Pitch Condition: Batting
Avg 1st Inning Score: 179
Pitch Report
Captains
Having won two ICC titles last year, the Sunrisers Hyderabad management wasted no time in electing Pat Cummins as the new skipper. The 30-year-old was a surprising pick as Aiden Markram had just delivered the Sunrisers Franchise their 2nd SA20 title.
India’s latest batting sensation, Rinku Singh has done everything right so far. Last year the left-handed batter played a blinder of an innings to take his side to a win against former champions Gujarat Titans. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, the focus will be on Rinku Singh to yet again deliver the goods.
Top
Afghanistan’s young wicketkeeper-batter has been in terrific form in recent times. His game is suited for the T20 format as he can take the attack to the opposition. The electric fast field at the Eden Gardens will also help him to help his side get off to a good start.
South African powerhouse Heinrich Klaasen served notice to the world during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Klaasen has the ability to clear the ropes with equal ease against the pacers and the spinners. If the KKR bowlers bowl short to him the spectators can expect the white balls to land their way during the night.
Budget
Kolkata Knight Riders will be happy to have the services of their skipper once again. The 29-year-old has a huge point to prove after the BCCI had dropped him from the yearly contracts. With the World Cup around the corner, Shreyas Iyer will hope to make sure that he gives a good performance with the bat. His form leading up to the IPL has been patchy but his half-century for Mumbai in the Ranji Final would give him massive hopes.
Once the bowling attack leader, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been out of the Indian team for a while now. At the age of 34, the lanky seamer knows that the time is running out for an India recall. One good season in the IPL can propel Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the reckoning. His recent form for Uttar Pradesh has been amazing as he picked a fifer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
DISCLAIMER
This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.
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