The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face off against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a match that holds little significance for both teams this Sunday. With both sides already out of contention, the game is more about pride than anything else.
In their previous encounter during the 2024 IPL, KKR triumphed over SRH in a decisive final match, but this time, the stakes are considerably lower, with only a potential sixth-place finish on the line.
SRH enters the match as the favored team, having recently secured a convincing 42-run victory against a strong Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side. In contrast, KKR has not played since May 7, when they faced Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Pat Cummins, leading SRH, will aim to conclude the season on a high note, supported by a robust batting lineup that includes Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Aniket Verma, all eager to capitalize on the favorable batting conditions at the Kotla.
KKR was scheduled to play RCB on May 17, but inclement weather in Bengaluru dashed their hopes of a comeback, effectively ending their slim chances of reaching the playoffs.
With the playoff spots already filled, this match serves more as a formality, primarily for the broadcasters involved. However, both teams will strive to end their seasons positively before management reassesses their strategies for the future.
For KKR, the local curator Sujan Mukherjee's decision to prepare a batting-friendly pitch has not worked in their favor, leading to several critical home losses. Their star bowler, Varun Chakravarthy, has also struggled to replicate his international form.
One of the biggest disappointments for KKR has been the return of Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought back for a staggering Rs 23.75 crore. With only 142 runs in 11 matches, and just 82 runs from 10 games when excluding a single high-scoring match, questions are being raised about his value.
The tendency of teams to justify questionable purchases with the term 'auction dynamic' has been noted, and Iyer's acquisition certainly falls into this category.
KKR's batting woes are underscored by the fact that their captain, Ajinkya Rahane, who is not typically known for his T20 capabilities, leads the team with 375 runs this season.
Interestingly, Rahane has hit 20 sixes, the most for KKR, while his teammates Sunil Narine and Andre Russell have managed 16 and 14 sixes, respectively. The inability of Russell and Rinku to deliver consistently in the final overs has also been detrimental to the team's performance.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson.
SRH: Pat Cummins ©, Ishan Kishan (wk), Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Sachin Baby, Smaran Ravichandran, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Travis Head, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.
Match Starts: 7:30 pm.
