IPL 2016, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Eliminator Match Preview: Survival of the fittest

The Sunrisers Hyderabad would be disappointed to lose the number 1 spot in the table to the Gujarat Lions and as a result, they find themselves in an eliminator match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The Sunrisers lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match by 22 runs, even after Shikhar Dhawan scored his fastest fifty of this season coming off 28 balls.

The Kolkata Knight Riders were cruising to the playoffs at a certain point in this season and then faltered a bit, barely making it to the top 4. The Knight Riders will be aware of the mistakes they committed in the previous match as their batting department had a mixed day, losing 3 wickets in under 60 runs and looked in trouble before Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan came to the rescue.

The Eliminator Match of VIVO IPL 2016 will take place at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

Match Date and Time: 25 May 2016, 8 pm (IST)Match Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.

Weather:

Temperature: Max 37°C, Min 32°C

Humidity: Max 41%

Wind: 11 km per hour

Pitch Report: Par-score 160. Spinners will get some good purchase from this wicket.

In-Depth Analysis:

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Point of View:

Positives:

The Sunrisers Hyderabad have enjoyed a fruitful season, their Captain has led them into their second ever playoffs since their debut in 2013. The biggest positive for the Sunrisers has been the form of dynamite David Warner, who has gathered 658 runs in 14 innings including the most number of half-centuries scored in this season (7).

Even when the ball is seaming around, Warner showed no signs of slowing down and kept scoring at a healthy strike-rate for his team, giving them ideal starts alongside Shikhar Dhawan. This opening pair will be the key for the Sunrisers.

The second positive has been their bowling unit. The Sunrisers are fortunate to have Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Mustafizur Rahman, and Barinder Sran in their arsenal. These bowlers have been bowling with great passion and it has reflected in their performances.

Bhuvaneshwar has bagged 18 wickets from 14 games at an economy rate of 7.75 runs per over. He has been superb with his variations, especially the slower bouncer which has bamboozled the batsmen on a number of occasions.

Negatives:

The Sunrisers are lacking consistency in the middle order. In their previous 2 games, their openers have given them great starts, but the middle order consisting of Yuvraj Singh, Kane Williamson, and Moises Henriques failed to build on it. The Sunrisers have to get themselves together and perform like what got them to the playoffs.

Another area where the Sunrisers have looked vulnerable is the spin department. Karn Sharma has been less than reliable with his leg spin with an economy rate close to 10. The Sunrisers will have to look into that to have more options in the middle overs.

Kolkata Knight Riders Point of View:

Positives:

The Knight Riders have had a dependable opening pair in the form of Gautham Gambhir and Robin Uthappa. Together, they have done a great job of getting the Knight Riders over the finish line in this season but have not been able to do that in the past few games.

The openers will be expected to bounce back and they will certainly be responsible for getting the Knight Riders off to a decent start. Their middle order has come good with Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan in very good form.

Pathan, in particular, has been explosive with the bat, scoring 359 runs in 14 games at a strike-rate close to 150. Another strong performance here and Pathan will be a serious contender for a place in the Indian Cricket Team.

Negatives:

Their bowling has looked fragile at times. Losing their highest wicket-taker Andre Russell, the Knight Riders have been going with Ankit Rajpoot who admittedly had a good game picking up a wicket and conceding 21 runs in 3 overs against the Sunrisers. It will be hard for him to fill the shoes of Russell, but he will have to use this as an opportunity to showcase his talent.

The Sunrisers will want to make it to their first final and they will have to be on top to get there. The odds favor the Knight Riders as they have been the better team with more consistency in their line-up.