IPL 2017: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 5 factors of winning

#3 Strategy

Warner, like Gambhir, will have a vital role to play in SRH’s batting line-up

The Knight Riders have set the trend of going hard at their opponents in the first six overs and are expected to continue with the same approach against the Sunrisers. They utilised the services of Sunil Narine as the pinch hitter at the top and exploited the field restrictions, allowing Gautam Gambhir to play the anchor role and bat through the whole innings.

They would also be looking to use their slower bowlers against the Sunrisers in the powerplay with the likes of David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan, and restrict their flow of runs. They like pace on the ball and this change up would surely put the brakes on the run rate.

The defending champions would be banking on their batsmen to step up and take the responsibility of getting a good total on the board. They would be looking to build partnerships in the middle overs in order to set the foundation for an onslaught in the final overs.

In Bhuvneshwar Kumar, they have an ideal swing bowler who can take the ball away from the left-hander which could create problems for Gambhir, who is the backbone of the KKR batting. The inclusion of Mustafizur has bolstered their bowling and they would be looking for his expertise in the death overs to restrict the batting of the Knights.