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The second game of the double-header on Saturday, March 23, will see two former winners, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), square off against each other. The much-awaited encounter is scheduled to take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Both KKR and SRH had a forgettable IPL 2023, where they finished seventh and tenth, respectively. Getting off to a great start would be the primary goal of both franchises.
The returns of Shreyas Iyer as captain and Gautam Gambhir as a mentor would certainly boost KKR's confidence as they gear up for their 17th IPL season. Much focus would also be on Mitchell Starc, who became the costliest player ever when the Knight Riders bought him for ₹24.75 crores.
A few moments prior to the Starc-KKR swoop, Hyderabad also stunned everyone when they splashed out ₹20.50 crore to acquire the services of Pat Cummins, who has also been given leadership duties.
The upcoming clash is expected to be tightly contested, as both sides have built strong squads. Their clash can also see a few records in danger of being shattered. On that note, here are three records that are potentially up for grabs between KKR and SRH.
#3 Andre Russell could become the first pacer to take 100 wickets for KKR
Typically known for his six-hitting prowess, Andre Russell is more than a handy bowler as well. Despite enduring several injuries throughout his career, the Caribbean thrives in dishing out his right-arm pace deliveries.
Since his debut for KKR in 2014, Russell has taken a total of 97 wickets at an immaculate strike rate of 15.12 and is the second-highest wicket-taker of the franchise. He is just three wickets away from becoming the first pace bowler to complete 100 wickets for KKR.
Only Sunil Narine (181) has taken more wickets for KKR than Russell.
#2 Shreyas Iyer could complete 100 IPL sixes
The crowd at the Eden Gardens will give a warm welcome to their leader Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the entire IPL 2023 due to his long-term back issues.
The 29-year-old will be extra motivated to make his mark following his snub from the BCCI central contract list. Iyer, who likes to put pressure on the opposition bowlers, has struck a total of 99 sixes in his IPL career thus far.
Another maximum on Saturday will make him only the 21st Indian player and 34th overall to complete 100 sixes in the history of the cash-rich league.
#1 Heinrich Klaasen could complete 4,000 T20 runs
Arguably the most dangerous player going around in white-ball cricket, Heinrich Klaasen will be a vital cog in SRH's batting line-up this season. The wicket-keeper batter was quite magnificent last year, smashing 448 runs at a strike rate of 177.08.
He is a gun T20 player and has racked up a total of 3,980 runs at a strike rate of over 150 in the format. Klaasen is just 20 runs away from becoming only the 16th South African to muster 4,000 runs in the shortest format of the game.
