KKR Predicted Playing XI vs SRH: Sportsrush presents before you KKR’s Predicted Playing XI for their first match against SRH.
Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders will start their IPL 2019 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad tomorrow. In what will be the first double-header match of the season, Knight Riders will be looking to stand proceedings on a positive note.
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In Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi and Andrich Nortje, one cannot ignore the predicament that KKR have lost as many as three fast bowlers before the start of the tournament. Despite travelling a similar road last year as well, the franchise ended up qualifying for the playoffs and will have to play with the same gusto this year as well.
Coming on the back of what seemed like a well thought-out auction, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Kolkata have arguably the best combination of experience and youth. While the likes of Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna made their presence felt last year, one believes they will only do better from hereon.
Below is KKR’s Predicted Playing XI for their match against SRH:
Top-order
Knight Riders’ ploy of opening the batting with Sunil Narine has been nothing less than a masterstroke. Australia batsman Chris Lynn and Narine make for an explosive opening pair. With Lynn scoring 385 runs in 14 matches at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 126.22 including four half-centuries in the Big Bash League, he will be eager to cause damage in the IPL as well.
Experienced batsman Robin Uthappa will continue to bat at No. 3 for KKR. While the 33-year old cricketer missed the entire season of Ranji Trophy due to injury, he scored a couple of half-centuries in six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy outings last month. KKR would be hoping for him to contribute significantly in IPL 2019 as well.
Middle-order
In Nitish Rana and captain Dinesh Karthik, Knight Riders have a couple of batsmen who can take the attack on the bowlers at any given situation. With Rana being a left-hander, his presence adds variety to their batting line-up.
Shubman Gill will be hoping for a promotion in the batting order for No. 6 isn’t the spot you associate him with. Till that doesn’t happen, he will have to continue with this unusual role of batting in the lower middle-order.
All-rounder Andre Russell will look to bring his form across the border. Coming on the back of the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistan Super League, Russell would be keen to bring his form to the Indian Premier League now.
Bowlers
In the seven matches which rookie pacer Prasidh Krishna played during his maiden IPL season last year, he dismissed 10 batsmen at an average of 26, an economy rate of 9.28 and a strike rate of 16.23. Having impressed one and all, expect him to start for the Knight Riders this year as well.
The overseas bowler’s spot will go to one out of New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson or England’s Harry Gurney. While Ferguson is more experienced at both the international level and in the IPL, Gurney has better numbers in the format. With Rusell and Krishna already in the squad, Knight Riders might just opt for Gurney for he being a left-arm bowler will add variety to their attack.
Kolkata Knight Riders are also expected to continue with their duo of wrist-spinners in Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav. Given how batsmen struggle against this breed of bowlers, one expects them to dictate terms in IPL 2019. Considering the year which Yadav has had in international cricket, he would be looking to make a significant impact with his bowling in this season for KKR.
KKR Predicted Playing XI for first match vs SRH: 1) Sunil Narine 2) Chris Lynn 3) Robin Uthappa 4) Nitish Rana 5) Dinesh Karthik (c & wk) 6) Shubman Gill 7) Andre Russell 8) Piyush Chawla 9) Kuldeep Yadav 10) Prasidh Krishna 11) Harry Gurney
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