IPL Match Today, SRH vs KKR: Predicted playing XI, head-to-head, pitch report, Hyderabad weather update

HYDERRABAD : The need to standout was never more apparent than in the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp this IPL season.
The traditional slow starters have quickly turned things around to make winning a habit—they have racked up five consecutive wins, ever since they stopped the marauding Rajasthan Royals in their tracks with little-known names like Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain putting their hand up.

That the last two of those wins came on the road chasing down 200-plus totals should add to the confidence of a side functioning like a well-oiled machine when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders at home in oppressively hot conditions on Sunday afternoon.

The engine room is on cruise mode with Abhishek Sharma (425 runs), Heinrich Klaasen (414), second and third in the batting chart, and Ishan Kishan (312) buzzing. That the flame-haired South African’s strike rate of 157.41 is less than Abhishek’s 209.35 is due to the salvage acts he essayed in a few games. But when push comes to shove, there is no doubting Klaasen’s prowess to pulverise attacks like Mumbai Indians found to their chagrin during his 30ball unbeaten 65 that piloted the chase.

Like Klaasen with the willow, Ehsan Malinga has been a constant in SRH’s success with the ball and the attack’s ability to hold its own till Pat Cummins returned against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. The Sri Lankan has been the go-to bowler for his captains Kishan and Cummins in the last two matches, and the variety in his armoury, which fetched him 15 wickets in nine matches is one of the reasons Sunrisers are third in the table with 12 points.

On the other hand, nothing seems to have gone right for the Knight Riders.

Barring the point from the abandoned match against Punjab Kings, the Knights had very little to show from their first six outings but wins over Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants in a Super over in the last two put them at No. 8 in the standings. Varun Chakravarthy and Rinku Singh were impressive in those two wins, and the Knights, who are weighing their options on giving Matheesha Pathirana a much-anticipated debut, hope the rest strike form to revive what now looks a difficult campaign.

SRH vs KKR: Head-to-Head

• Matches played: 31
• Sunrisers Hyderabad won: 11
• Kolkata Knight Riders won: 20

SRH vs KKR Today IPL Match: Pitch Report

The pitch for today's SRH vs KKR match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad is expected to be highly batting-friendly, continuing the trend of high-scoring games at this venue this season. Minimal dew is expected due to the afternoon timing, removing the primary advantage of chasing. The square boundaries are relatively short (63-66 metres), further aiding high-scoring totals.