SRH vs KKR Preview – Hyderabad, Kolkata search 4th victory to keep their campaign alive

Aiden Markram’s Sunrisers Hyderabad will square off against Kolkata Knight Riders in the crucial 47th league meeting of the ongoing Indian Premier League. It will be a battle of wits between the two sides placed in the bottom half of the table when they clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, May 4.

It has been a troublesome campaign for both sides in 2023, with their playoff chances hanging by a thread. The Orange Army managed to halt their three-match losing streak after a narrow victory against Delhi Capitals. A hapless Kolkata Knight Riders succumbed to their sixth defeat of the season in their last outing.

It will be a great opportunity for SRH batters to regain their form against an under-fire bowling unit of KKR. Similarly, Nitish Rana will hope that their lackluster bowling unit could contain a rather erratic SRH batting order in a must-win game of the side.

Pitch and conditions

The last game at this venue witnessed a hard-fought contest between bat and ball. Although the batters managed to pile the runs on the board in the previous encounter, the spinners also received plenty of assistance from the surface. The team winning the toss would be inclined to bat first at the venue.

Venue details: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad

Last T20 match at the venue: SRH- 197/6 (20 overs) DC- 188/10 (20 overs)

Here’s the probable playing XI for Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders:

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Barring Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen, none of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s top order batters managed to chip in with any significant contribution. The erratic form of the SRH pacers in the powerplay is also a concern for Markram.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Nitish Rana is looking out of ideas due to the prolonged woeful performance of his bowlers, especially the pacers. However, the nature of the surface in Hyderabad will appeal to Kolkata’s spin-heavy bowling line-up.