Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders will square off in a crucial IPL 2020 clash as the race for the fourth spot intensifies. However, while both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders are coming off losses in their previous game, it is the two-time champions that look a bit more vulnerable than the 2016 IPL champions.
The IPL 2020 points table is starting to see clear divisions. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals are pulling away and it looks like a scrap for the fourth spot with four teams. Kolkata Knight Riders’ loss to Mumbai Indians in the previous game has left the door open for the likes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab to barge through. By the end of the double headers, one might see Kolkata Knight Riders slip to seventh if they do not pull their game together.
The build-up for Kolkata Knight Riders has been far from ideal. Dinesh Karthik relinquished captaincy at a crucial juncture when the team needed stability. In the game against Mumbai Indians, they were comprehensively outplayed in all departments, sealing the fact that they do not have the mental strength to beat the Mumbai Indians.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, have blown hot and cold as is characteristic of them in every IPL. When it comes to the mid-table scrap and the battle for the third and the fourth spot, Sunrisers Hyderabad seem to raise their game to the next level. On paper, they are actually much more steady than the Kolkata Knight Riders, who are beset with the problem of plenty and with the top order misfiring on a consistent basis.
Team News
Sunil Narine, who has been reported for a suspect action, has been working hard to remodel his bowling. He is expected to be back in the fray for the contest against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad have no such concern but there is a possibility that in order to strengthen the batting, Abhishek Sharma might come back.
Probable Playing 11s
Sunrisers Hyderabad - David Warner(c), Jonny Bairstow(w), Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan
Kolkata Knight Riders - Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan(c), Dinesh Karthik(w), Andre Russell, Chris Green/Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna
Match details
Match: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Date and Time: 18th October, 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Sheikh Zayed stadium, Abu Dhabi
Statistics
Kolkata Knight Riders have a superior head-to-head advantage against Sunrisers Hyderabad and they won their last encounter at the same venue by seven wickets. Overall, Kolkata Knight Riders has 11 victories while Sunrisers Hyderabad have seven wins.
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 "SRH vs KKR Abu Dhabi IPL 2020")
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