IPL 2018, KKR v SRH: 5 players battles to look forward to  

After completing an outstanding victory against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator, Kolkata Knight Riders now find themselves one step away from the final. In the 2nd Qualifier tonight at the Eden Gardens, they will take on table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad and the game promises to be a pulsating one. SRH lost a game that they looked all set to win and they must not allow that to prey on their minds when they take on KKR at the latter’s home ground.

The SRH bowlers seemed to have found their zip back as they made their paltry total look big against a formidable batting line-up and they would like to do the same tonight. KKR may have lost to SRH in the league game at Eden Gardens but in their last game against the same opposition, they won with ease at Hyderabad and they would like to do the same tonight. That being said, the game will ultimately be decided by some of the individual battles that will take place tonight and here is a look at the most important ones.

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#5 Robin Uthappa v Shakib Al Hasan

The KKR number 3 looked in horrible touch in the last game but it cannot be denied that Robin Uthappa bats at a pivotal position for the team and a good performance from him could be crucial tonight. In the previous game, he got the leading edge against RR off-spinner K. Gowtham and tonight he comes up against one of the best spin duos in this year’s IPL.

The battle he is going to have with SRH’s Shakib Al Hasan is going to be fascinating. The Bangladeshi all-rounder is going to up against his old teammate and that too at the ground which he had called home till last season, which is why the battle is going to have an extra edge. Last but not the least, Shakib is an extremely crafty bowler, who can hold his own against most batsmen and the KKR batsman would need to be at his very best if he is to come out on top in this battle at the Eden Gardens tonight.

#4 Piyush Chawla v Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan

In the 1st Qualifier against Chennai Super Kings, Shikhar Dhawan was bowled off the 1st ball for naught and needless to say, that is not a true reflection of the sort of form that he is in at the moment. Going into that game, the left-hander was in sublime form and he would like to bring that into tonight’s Qualifier against KKR. He is the sort of batsman who can take the game away very quickly from the opposition and KKR must find a way to keep him quiet tonight.

Throughout this season’s IPL, KKR have often tried their leg-spinner Piyush Chawla in the Powerplays and it is quite likely that they will do so again tonight. He has done well in the phase of the game and his battle against Dhawan tonight could well prove to be a very important one. It will have a profound impact on the sort of start the SRH can get off to and if Chawla can get Dhawan early, then it can rock the team’s batting line up early on.

#3 Chris Lynn v Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Chris Lynn

The KKR opening batsman is one of the most important members of the team’s batting line-up and although he has not been at his devastating best, Chris Lynn has done an admirable job so far for the team. In his previous game against SRH, the Australian made 55 and helped the team chase down a stiff target in a must-win game. He would like to carry on from where he left off as far as SRH are concerned but tonight he will be up against a rejuvenated Bhuvneshwar Kumar and that will be a trying test for him.

Following a string of lackluster performances, the Indian fast bowler burst into life in the previous game against Chennai Super Kings and bowler an outstanding opening spell that rocked the opposition top order. He went for only 14 runs in 3.1 overs and picked up the wicket of Shane Watson early on. Kumar would like to do something similar tonight and if he can get rid of Lynn early on, then SRH would definitely find their noses ahead in this game.

#2 Sunil Narine v Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson has been one of the best batsmen in this season’s IPL and although he might not be famous for brutal power-hitting, his silken stroke-play has seen him score 685 runs at an average of 57.08 this season. What has been particularly noticeable about his batting is that he has been in absolute control against spin bowling and in tonight’s game, his expertise will be very important against a bowler like Sunil Narine.

The Trinidadian is one of the trickiest bowlers to face and in Williamson, SRH have a batsman who would present him with a stiff challenge. However, the challenge is that it is tough to really go after Narine and an economy rate of 7.77 in 15 games is proof of that. It would be interesting to see how the SRH captain goes about his business tonight against Narine and it goes without saying that whoever comes out on top in this game, is almost certainly going to end up on the winning side.

#1 Dinesh Karthik v Rashid Khan

Dinesh Karthik

The KKR captain has been one of the most damaging middle-order batsmen in this season’s IPL and it is Dinesh Karthik’s ability to play big shots against both spin and pace that has made him so dangerous. He is KKR’s highest scorer with 490 runs and is averaging 54.44, to go along with a strike rate of 148.03. He scored a crucial 52 in the previous game after the team had lost a cluster of wickets early on and he would like to carry that form into the game tonight.

In tonight’s game, his battle against SRH’s star spinner Rashid Khan is going to be the headline act. Needless to say, the SRH attack does well when Rashid does well and in his previous game against CSK, he was devastating. He gave away only 11 runs and picked up 2 crucial wickets to completely derail the innings. At the Eden Gardens tonight, he will up against a batsman who is going to take him on and therein lies the importance of this duel. Whoever wins this battle will increase his team’s chances of winning the game quite significantly.