IPL 2019, KKR v SRH: 3 key battles that you cannot miss

The Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second match of the twelfth season of the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens on Sunday afternoon. Both the teams look equally matched on paper, although the side from Kolkata look a bit weakened in their bowling department.

The 'Eagles' from Hyderabad will be welcoming back their former captain David Warner and he will be hoping to get a few runs under his belt. The game will be full of brilliant individual contests and cannot be missed at any cost.

We pick out three battles which will decide which way this game goes.

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#1 Sunil Narine vs David Warner

Former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir had bowled West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine at the start of the innings with the new ball and one could expect new skipper Dinesh Karthik to do the same. Narine is a threat any time during the innings, and more so when the fielding restrictions are on.

The man from Trinidad will find David Warner in his path, who will be returning to the IPL after a one-year ban due to the infamous ball-tampering scandal. Warner will be hoping to put the fact that he was absent in the 2018 season behind him and start well. He is dangerous at the top of the order and Narine will have to keep him in check.

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#2 Andre Russell vs Rashid Khan

Andre Russell

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan will be high on confidence having just taken part in his country's first Test victory over Ireland in Dehradun recently. He will have the task of containing the mighty Andre Russell, who can threaten to run away with the game if left uncontrolled.

Rashid Khan is a brilliant exponent of the art of leg-spin and his services have been retained by the Eagles from Hyderabad. He will have to put on a brilliant show at the Eden Gardens on Sunday afternoon.

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#3 Robin Uthappa vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Robin Uthappa

KKR will be banking on the ever-dependable Robin Uthappa to give them a good start at the top of the order. However, the only thing standing in Uthappa's way will be a fantastic SRH bowling lineup, led by India quick Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar will be a tough nut to crack and his contest with Uthappa will be one worth watching.

Uthappa will be keen on getting a few boundaries out of the way but there is no doubt that Bhuvneshwar's stifling accuracy will make that increasingly difficult.