Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2016, Match 8 at Hyderabad: Gautam Gambhir vs Mustafizur Rahman and other key duels
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2016, Match 8 at Hyderabad: Key Battles
Under a scorching sun, Sunrisers Hyderabad will host Kolkata Knight Riders in Match No. 8 of IPL 2016 at Hyderabad. The first afternoon fixture of this campaign, the home side will look to get their first win and take off in the points table. The visitors KKR though, will want to get back to winning ways, having been defeated by Mumbai Indians in their last game. Both the teams are filled with loads of exciting players, be it well established international cricketers or rising Indian talents. A game which promises lot of quality and entertainment, here are the key battles that can have an impact on the proceedings. FULL SCORECARD: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2016, Match 8 at Hyderabad
1. Gautam Gambhir vs Mustafizur Rahman: The skipper of KKR, Gambhir has again led the team from the front. His captaincy has been very shrewd, but it is his batting which has been very good in this season’s IPL. In both the games so far, Gambhir has gotten of to starts and given a platform for rest of his team to follow. But he must be very aware of the fact a certain Mustafizur Rahman will bowl against him. A player who has tormented teams in international stage, even though being just 20 years old, Mustafizur’s IPL career got off to a great start on personal note. In a game where fellow bowlers were going for 10 rpo, he claimed 2 wickets conceding just 26 runs. It will be interesting to see how he does against an in-form Gambhir.
2. Andre Russell vs David Warner: A part of the victorious West Indies team that won the T20 World Cup 2016, Russell has already proved to be a key cog in KKR’s team. While he has already shown his ability with bat in the last game, it is what he has done with the ball which has been crucial. With 4 wickets in two games, he has been used as the lead bowler, quite similar to how he was used in the T20 World Cup. But on the opposite end, is David Warner, who can easily be termed as one of the most destructive openers in T20. His 25-ball 58 against RCB couldn’t get his side a win, but it served as a warning for teams to follow. If Warner is at his game, it will be very tough for Russell to contain him. ALSO READ: IPL 2016, Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders: SRH target their first victory in IPL 9
3. Robin Uthappa vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar: While praises have been rightly directed towards Gambhir, his opening partner Uthappa has been no less. One of the most successful batsman in IPL, Uthappa is equally good as the skipper. In fact, it is Uthappa’s aggressive approach which lets Gambhir anchor the innings. He will be key to his side getting runs in this game. On the other hand, a injury to Ashish Nehra has put more pressure on Bhuvneshwar Kumar to perform. A bowler who can swing the ball either ways, his performance in the first game was very ordinary. The extra pressure to cover for Nehra may just be the kick needed for Bhuvneshwar, who will have to be at his absolute best against Uthappa and co.
4. Bradd Hogg vs Eoin Morgan: The story of Bradd Hogg will be told to every young cricket aspirant around the world. At 45, when almost every cricketer is either enjoying time with family or doing commentary, Hogg is taking wickets and bowling as well as ever. The first game against DD showed what Hoggie still offers, taking 3 wickets and conceding just 19 runs. It will be interesting to see how he bowls to the SRH middle order, which will be spearheaded by Eoin Morgan. In their loss against RCB, Morgan came at a lowly No.6 and had very little time to get settled. A player of Morgan’s stature should be played at one-down or No.4, where he can take his time and build a innings. If SRH learn from their mistake, the English skipper will come up the order, and will be expected to face Hogg in what will be a great contest. ALSO READ:KKR vs SRH IPL 2016: Gautam Gambhir confident of Kolkata Knight Riders’ good show vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
5. Manish Pandey vs Moises Henriques: Another player with immense talent, Pandey has kicked off in this season’s IPL, scoring a rapid-fire 29-ball 52 in the last game against MI. While it was a very aggressive knock, he is generally a player who builds his innings before taking on the bowlers. And it will be very necessary for SRH to keep him quiet. The job to contain Pandey may well be given to Moises Henriques. While it won’t be wrong to say he is just in the team due to injuries to Kane Williamson and Yuvraj Singh, he can still offer quite a bit with both bat and ball. He will be needed by Warner to act responsibly as a bowler, considering the inexperience in the rest of bowling attack. Fighting for his place, Henriques will need to be at his top game to contain an ever impressive Manish Pandey.
(R Narayan is reporter with CricketCountry, and is an ardent cricket and football enthusiast (big Manchester United fan). Having followed Cricket since 2003, he likes high scoring matches as well as good fast bowling. His twitter handle is @RNarayan24nov)