IPL 6: Match 17 - KKR vs SRH - Sunrisers Hyderabad Preview

The IPL 6 returns to Kolkata after a lengthy break of 15 matches as the defending champions and the home team, KKR, face SRH. With a victory over DD in the previous match, SRH has proved that there is more to their wins than just luck. Having beaten two strong teams, at least on paper, SRH will be confident of slaying yet another giant.

The SRH bowling is in imperious form and has been the major force behind all their victories till now. In the games that they’ve won, they’ve restricted their opposition to scores of 104, 130 and 114, which gives an indication of how well they’ve bowled. If one has to be critical, one would say that finding a suitable fifth bowler has been the only problem. If Anand Rajan can continue to bowl as well as he did in the previous match, they will have one of the most settled bowling line-ups in the tournament.

Time and again, their strong bowling has masked the limitations in their batting. Sangakkara showed signs of regaining some of his touch with a run-a-ball 28 in the previous match. SRH will hope for meaningful contributions from the Indian batsmen in their line-up too. Much of the batting will still be centered around the captain, Cameron White and Thisara Perera. Just how reliant they are on White and Perera was evident when the team huffed and puffed to their way to a target of 115 once both of them failed.

Players to watch out for

Amit Mishra

Dale Steyn – He is the kind of bowler every captain wants in his team. He bowls fast and swings the ball at that pace. He not only takes wickets, but puts a lid on the scoring rate as well. He has been carrying out his role as the leader of the SRH bowling line-up remarkably well and the team would be looking forward to another stellar performance from this stellar bowler.

Kumar Sangakkara - On a slow Kolkata pitch, against the guile of Sunil Narine, the captain’s role will become all the more crucial. SRH’s batting performance in the middle overs will depend on Sangakkara. He did get some runs in the previous match, but SRH will want their captain to spend some more time in the middle.

Amit Mishra – He loves the IPL and he will love the Kolkata pitch too. What he will find challenging, though, is that KKR has some of the best players of spin in the world at the top of the order. Along with Steyn, he will play a significant role in how the bowling unit performs today.

X-Factors

Cameron White and Thisara Perera – Both are hard, clean hitters of the ball and can turn a match around in a matter of overs.

Possible XI

PA Reddy/Ravi Teja, Parthiv Patel, Kumar Sangakkara, Cameron White, Thissara Perera, Hanuma Vihari, A Ashish Reddy, Amit Mishra, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma, Anand Rajan