IPL 2017 The Eliminator, KKR vs SRH: 5 players to watch out for

The playoffs of the Indian Premier League’s tenth season are up and running with the Eliminator being the second game. It’s a must-win contest for both Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad as the loser of the match gets eliminated while the winner progresses to play the Qualifier 2.

Knight Riders have experienced a dip in form over their last five games and will be itching to turn things around. Sunrisers Hyderabad also went through a roller-coaster ride, but have garnered momentum through their comprehensive victory against Gujarat Lions.

Going into the all-important clash, both teams’ players will be required to fire all cylinders for their respective teams to get over the winning line. We take a look at five players who can change the course of the match with their destructive gameplay.

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#5 Chris Lynn

Very few people would have imagined that Chris Lynn would open for Kolkata Knight Riders and when he did, he struck gold with an unbeaten innings of 93. The innings set the tone for the Knights’ surge in the league stage.

Shoulder injury against Mumbai Indians turned detrimental to his striking run as he was out of the game for nearly a month. It hardly made an impact on his form as in his comeback game he murdered the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers to register the current third fastest half-century in this season’s IPL.

Though in a losing cause, Lynn also has a knock of 84 runs against Kings XI Punjab and was the only Knight Riders batsman to show any kind of form. Against the robust Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling, the swashbuckling batsman must carry forward his form to keep the ball rolling for KKR.

#4 David Warner

In SRH’s previous contest against KKR, Warner pummeled the Knight Riders’ bowlers to a century at a strike of 200+

David Warner- the Orange Cap holder of the Indian Premier League 2017 has been going through a purple patch, much to the delight of the Hyderabad camp. With every innings, his form gained momentum as every team faced the wrath of his ferocious stroke-play.

In the do-or-die contest against Gujarat Lions, the Australian batsman became the first batsman to register 600 runs in this edition’s IPL. The leadership role has rubbed off positively on the batsman from New South Wales as he has shouldered the responsibility well.

In SRH’s previous contest against KKR, Warner pummeled the Knight Riders’ bowlers to a century at a strike of 200+, which won’t fade away from the memories in a canter. Warner’s role will again be key if the Sunrisers have to move ahead in the playoffs.

#3 Sunil Narine

The Eliminator is a must win for the Knights and Sunil Narine has to come good in both departments

Before this season, Sunil Narine was recognised as a bowler who could bamboozle batsmen of the highest class with his wily off-breaks. In this season, his batting has overshadowed his bowling figures as the world was presented with Version 2.0 of the Trinidadian.

Not even in the wildest dreams would anyone have thought that Sunil Narine would go on and record the joint fastest fifty in the history of the Indian Premier League. However, bowling will remain to be his primary role in the team and he has been a tad off-colour compared to his performances in the erstwhile seasons.

The Eliminator is a must win for the Knights and Sunil Narine has to come good in both departments for Gautam Gambhir’s men to overcome any possible hurdle moving further ahead into the playoffs.

#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Immaculate line and length has been the strength of the right arm pacer

Bhuvneshwar Kumar- the Purple Cap holder has been in sublime touch and has been a pivotal factor in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s success in the IPL. From bowling in the powerplays to shouldering the mantle in the death overs, the Karnataka bowler has been Sunrisers go-to man.

A bowler who will hardly be in the face of batsmen, but will steadfastly pick up wickets to put the skids on the batting team. Though he doesn’t possess express pace, immaculate line and length has been the strength of the right arm pacer.

The Knight Riders batting is expected to come all guns blazing and Kumar’s tight channel will again need to come to the fore for Sunrisers to restrict the Knights from posting a big enough total for their liking.

#1 Rashid Khan

For an 18-year-old, he has taken giant strides into the world of cricket

Rashid Khan, the leg-spinner from Afghanistan, has been an absolute treat to the eyes with his classical and loopy leg-breaks. For an 18 year old, he has taken giant strides into the world of cricket and Sunrisers Hyderabad wasted no time in grabbing the youngster in the auctions.

By piling on wickets for the Sunrisers, the spinner has only added to his reputation of being a young sensation.

The onus will again be on Rashid to eke out a decent spell of bowling and also pick up wickets to keep Sunrisers in the ascendancy. The Knight Riders batsmen are excellent against spin and Rashid has to be on his mark right from ball one.