SRH vs KKR- KKR's probable playing XI

With the IPL underway, KKR will play their opening game on 24th March against Sunrisers Hyderabad. KKR ended up 3rd in the previous edition of the tournament and have stuck to their core squad.

They have a good mix of batsmen like Nitish Rana and Chris Lynn, all rounders like Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite and bowlers like Kuldeep, Narine and Prasidh Krishna. They also have experience in the form of Dinesh Karthik and Piyush Chawla and young blood in the form of Shubhman Gill and Rinku Singh.

KKR will be looking to repeat their performances of 2018 and led by an in-form Dinesh Karthik, they will be hoping to win their opening match in their home ground. Let's have a look at the playing XI that Dinesh Karthik could field in their encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Openers- Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn

Lynn and Narine

KKR stuck to their opening combination of Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn in 2018 and that yielded them results. The Caribbean pinch hitter gave a strong start on most occasions and even managed to notch up a fifty against Punjab which powered KKR to 245. His strike rate of 189 in 2018 was second only to Krishnappa Gowtham. His pinch-hitting helps boost up the run rate and also make full use of the powerplay fielding restrictions. His presence also helps Chris Lynn to settle down as the run rate is being taken cared of by him. Thus, KKR would like to try him as their first opener against SRH.

Chris Lynn is the second choice in KKR's squad. A T20 specialist, he is known for his exploits in the Big Bash League. He had a decent outing in 2018, scoring 491 runs at an average of 32.

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Middle Order- Robin Uthappa, Shubhman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik

The skipper and the U-19 star would be vital to KKR's middle order

The middle order of the Knight Riders is undoubtedly one of the best amongst all the teams. They bat deep down the order and have players who can play long innings as well as get the big shots.

Robin Uthappa would lead the middle order. With his experience and beautiful stroke play, he provides the stability to KKR that helps them get the big scores. He is known for playing the role of the anchor, one that he executes perfectly, while others around him go for the big shots. His 4000 runs in IPL are a testimony to the fact that he can play long innings and provide good support to batsmen at the other end. His role will be very vital if KKR want to lay their hands on the coveted trophy.

Shubman Gill, the rising U-19 star will come in at No. 4. His average of 33 and a healthy strike rate provides a good mix of stability and power to the middle order. Known for his flamboyant stroke play and big scores, he would be looking to replicate his performances of 2018 where he notched up a fifty and helped his captain by making useful partnerships.

An aggressive left handed batsmen, Nitish Rana is the perfect man at No.5. Not only does he have the variety of shots and muscle to hit the sixes, he also has the ability to bowl a couple of overs of spin which is what makes such a useful player in the team. He is known to have picked up wickets of Kohli and ABD in successive balls and his strike rate of 130+ proves that he can play the big shots once the upper order have set the stage for a big score.

Lastly, their skipper, who has been in the form of his life will look to continue his raging scoring ability. With an average of 50 and a healthy strike upwards of 145, Dinesh Karthik would just like to repeat what he did for his team in 2018. he led from the front and played the role of a finisher to perfection. His will look to perfect his finishing abilities and take KKR to their third IPL title.

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All Rounders- Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite

These two all-rounders can win matches single-handedly on their day.

Probably the most wanted T20 allrounders in the world, these two provide immeasurable value to both the batting and the bowling departments on KKR's unit.

Andre Russell is best known for his hard hitting ability and capacity to strike at a rate of excess of 300. He is known to provide the batting boosts teams need while also bowling his full quota of overs as a pacer. His contribution will be very vital if KKR look to win the trophy. He should be careful to keep away from injuries and help prove an asset to the team.

Carlos Brathwaite announced himself as the finisher of cricket in 2016 when he smashed 4 sixes of the final over off Ben Stokes in the World T20 cricket final. The most interesting thing was that the knock came in Eden Gardens which is co-incidentally also the home ground of KKR. The Knight Riders would want him to replicate his performance of that night in all the matches and help KKR grab the cup.

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Bowlers- Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Khanna

KKR's spin trio is a force to reckon with

KKR have one of the best spin trio's amongst all the teams. With the presence of the mystery spinner- Narine and the chinaman- Kuldeep Yadav, they have a variety second to none.

The second spinner after Sunil Narine will be Kuldeep Yadav. With his never ending variations and accurate bowling, he will be looking to run through the batting line ups of teams. Moreover, he is used to playing in these conditions and having him in the team is a no brainer.

The third highest wicket taker of IPL, Piyush Chawla will be looking to aid Kuldeep and Narine in dismantling batting lineups. His vast experience makes him a very valuable player and he often bowls in the power play and provides a good start to his team

Since all the four foreign players in the team are decided and with the presence of two pacers Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite, Prasidh Krishna will look to be the third pacer in KKR's pace battery. He had an impressive outing in 2018 and picked up 10 wickets in seven matches at an impressive average of 26. He will thus look to complete KKR's bowling unit with his ability to generate pace and hit the deck hard.

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