SRH vs KKR IPL 2021 Match 3: Possible Playing 11 of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR Playing 11: Kolkata Knight Riders will start their IPL campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad here at Chennai. The last two seasons have been disappointing for KKR as they have been unable to reach the playoffs. Last time, they missed the playoffs because of a poor NRR which they will look to improve this time. Sunrisers and Knight Riders have met each other 19 times in which Knight Riders lead with 12 wins compared to Sunrisers’ 7. Last season, KKR got the better of SRH on both the occasions which will give them the confidence. The two teams have produced some close contests over the years, so expect a thriller on the cards.
Like SRH, KKR too have all the players available for selection which makes them a strong contender this year. They are expected to go with a spin-heavy attack given the wicket in Chennai is expected to turn. Here is how their eleven could be shaped up for this match:
Match Details
Match – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders – 3rd match
Venue – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Time – 7:30 PM IST, 02:00 PM GMT
Where to watch live – Star Sports Network, Hotstar
Pitch Report
The pitch in Chennai has been a sporting one over the years. The batters have been able to play their shots on the up and the spinners have also gotten a fair amount of assistance. Batting second should be the way forward. The temperature will be around 30 degrees Celsius with the humidity in the 70s. There will be a fair amount of cloud, but with no chances of rain.
KKR Playing 11 (likely)
S Gill
N Rana
S Al Hasan
E Morgan (C)
D Karthik (wk)
A Russell
K Nair
P Cummins
K Yadav
P Krishna
V Chakravarthy
KKR has a powerful looking middle order with Morgan, Karthik and Russell. With Shakib into the mix now, they have tried to sort out the top order. It will be interesting to see how Shakib goes as Narine is waiting on the bench.
KKR Squad for IPL 2021
Eoin Morgan (C), Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Pawan Negi, Tim Seifert, Shakib al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer.
SRH Playing 11 (likely)
D Warner (C)
J Bairstow (wk)
M Pandey
K Williamson
V Shankar
K Jadhav
A Samad
R Khan
B Kumar
S Sharma
T Natarajan
SRH have a top-heavy batting order with Warner and Bairstow at the top. Jadhav’s inclusion into the squad gives the middle order much needed stability. The bowling looks strong as ever with Bhuvneshwar and Rashid to lead the pack.
SRH Squad for IPL 2021
David Warner (C), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, T Natarajan, Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Jonny Bairstow, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Basil Thampi, Jason Holder, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Yadav, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Jason Roy.
Probable best batsman of the match
Shubman Gill- Kolkata Knight Riders
Shubman Gill has emerged as a valuable batter for the Knights over the last two years or so. He doesn’t go for the ambitious strokes and plays the sheet anchor’s role. Last year, he scored in the 70s against the Sunrisers and has an understanding of their bowling attack. He would be looking for another knock of substance.
Probable best bowler of the match
Rashid Khan – Sunrisers Hyderabad
Rashid Khan has been a daunting prospect for the opponents over the years. The fact that he can operate any stage of a game makes him a useful element in the Sunrisers’ camp. Against the Knights, the Nangarhar-born picked up nine wickets in 38 overs. He bowls at an economy of 6.87 and is expected to come up with another decent spell.
