IPL 2018, KKR vs SRH Match Prediction: Who will win today's match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad
Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, two of the most balanced sides in the tournament thus far, will face off in the 10th match of 2018 IPL at the Eden Gardens. While SRH have won both their encounters, KKR came on top in one of their two matches.
The Hyderabad-based outfit had lost their skipper David Warner before the commencement of the tournament and subsequently, Kane Williamson was handed the captaincy. The New Zealand batsman has ensured that the team do not miss Warner's leadership while Shikhar Dhawan's exploits at the top of the order have given the team two excellent starts so far in the tournament.
On the bowling front, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Billy Stanlake and Shakib Al Hasan have all performed brilliantly and though Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed the encounter against Mumbai Indians, he's expected to return to the starting XI and restart his wicket-taking spree.
And if you're playing a fantasy game, it's highly advisable that you pick at least two of these bowlers.
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As far as the Knight Riders from Kolkata are concerned, they started the tournament on the front foot, dismantling a sorry RCB outfit at the Eden Gardens. Sunil Narine had blown the Bangalore-based franchise away in that match while Andre Russell took over the mantle from his fellow West Indian in the next match, against CSK.
The Jamaican all-rounder slammed 11 sixes in his 36-ball 88-run knock and powered Kolkata to 202. The day, however, belonged to CSK as they chased down the total with a ball to spare. KKR though would still take a lot of confidence from their outings as they look a confidence side, worthy enough of challenging any other side in the fray.
Date: April 14
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Time: 20:00 IST
If Kolkata Knight Riders bat first
Predicted score: 180+
Starting with Chris Lynn and Narine, KKR have two power hitters up top capable enough of giving the team starts as good as any. With Uthappa coming in at number three, they have a seasoned campaigner who has consistently added over 300 runs in IPL seasons.
Nitish Rana and Dinesh Karthik walk in at four and five respectively, providing the team stability in the middle. Uttar Pradesh's Rinku Singh packs a punch as well and walks in before Russell.
The responsibility of finishing off the innings rests on the shoulder of the Jamaican. Russell has the ability to accelerate the innings at will and his knock against Chennai goes on to highlight the kind of destruction he can hand the opposition.
All in all, if KKR's batting clicks, they'll easily cross the 180 mark.
If Sunrisers Hyderabad bat first
Predicted score: 170+
Dhawan and Wriddhiman Saha have taken up the mantle of opening the innings for the Hyderabad-based outfit. The Indian opener is on a dazzling run of form and holds the Purple Cap with 123 runs in two matches.
Skipper Williamson walks in at three, followed by their record buy Manish Pandey. SRH have shown a lot of faith in the Karnataka batsman and he needs to step up and win his side matches. The all-rounder trio of Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda and Yusuf Pathan have to perform the finisher's role and a lot would depend on them if SRH are to post a competitive total on the board.
Hyderabad's batting has been untested so far in the tournament as they have had regulation scores to chase down in the first two encounters. If they are invited to bat first against KKR, nothing less than 170-175 would do.
Match Prediction
The teams chasing at the Eden Gardens have historically had the upper hand and similarly, toss would play a big role in tonight's encounter. KKR bat deep while SRH have easily the best bowling line-up in the tournament and therefore, the match would be a clash between the hosts' batting and the visitors' bowling. Team batting second to win the match.
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