SRH need to improve record against KKR | IPL 2021 SunRisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders: SWOT Analysis

Two-time champions Kolkata open their IPL 2021 campaign against Hyderabad in the third match of IPL 2021 at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. Here's our analysis.

SunRisers SWOT analysis

Strengths: SRH are blessed with quality overseas players. David Warner as the captain and leg-spinner Rashid Khan have sealed their places in the team. Phenomenally consistent Kane Williamson is always reliable and the English duo of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy can tear any opposition apart. The Afghan duo of Mohammed Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are supremely talented spinners. Then there is all-rounder Jason Holder who continues to deliver the goods with the bat and the ball.

Weaknesses: They are too reliant on Warner giving them blistering starts. If Warner and Williamson get out early, a relatively inexperienced middle-order can struggle in a big chase. The middle-order comprising Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar and Priyam Garg are anchor batsmen and are not known to easily send the ball out of the park.

Opportunities: SRH have a poor record against KKR. Last year, they lost both league stage matches against Kolkata. This is a chance for them to hit back.

Threats: An injury cloud always looms large around SRH. Williamson warmed the bench at the start of last season because of an injury sustained while training. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh got injured in last year's first match and opted to skip the tournament this year. Ace pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up an injury after a few games and was ruled out. Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar had a similar story. Wriddhiman Saha was also ruled out for a crucial match.

Knight Riders SWOT analysis

Strengths: They have a battery of fast bowlers. Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson are known for accuracy and pace. There is the Indian pace trio of Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna and Kamlesh Nagarkoti. While Krishna delivers the ball from a height, Mavi and Nagarkoti are skiddy. Andre Russell can bowl at least two overs at the death and his backup Ben Cutting is equally proficient.

Weaknesses: An unreliable opening combo and fading Windies stars. KKR tried four different batsmen to open the innings with Shubman Gill in 14 league games last season. These openers were Sunil Narine, Rahul Tripathi, Tom Banton and Nitish Rana. The constant churn at the top of the order prevented the team from getting brisk starts. Also, the West Indies duo of Russell and Narine seemed past their prime.

Opportunities: The arrival of Shakib Al Hasan solves plenty of issues for the team. He can take Narine's place as a wicket-taking spinner. With his ability to bat at no. 3, KKR will have good right-left combos through the batting order. Shakib’s numbers in the IPL are decent. In 63 IPL games, he has scored 746 runs at a strike rate of 126.66. With the ball, he has picked up 59 wickets at an economy of 7.46.

Threats: Russell’s fitness is always a cause for concern. Can the dynamic power-hitter find his touch again? If not, KKR will need to find someone else like Eoin Morgan or Dinesh Karthik to deliver the big finish for them.

Head-to-head record:

Matches played: 19

SRH: 7

KKR: 12

Last five matches:

SRH: L-W-W-W-W

KKR: W-L-L-W-L

Team news

No fitness concerns for either side.

Deccan Herald's dream XI:

David Warner, Shubman Gill, Kane Williamson, Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Varun Chakravarthy, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna

Impact player for SRH

Rashid Khan: The leg spinner was SRH’s leading wicket-taker with 20 scalps in 2020. With an economy of just 5.37, Rashid had the best economy among bowlers who got 20 or more wickets last year and there were eight of them. He gets wickets and dries up the runs as well.

Impact player for KKR

Varun Chakravarthy: He was one of the finds and bagged last season's only five-wicket haul. Chakravarthy’s stocks rose phenomenally after IPL 2020 and he twice came close to representing India in white-ball cricket only to miss out because of fitness issues. If Chakravarthy improves his fitness and avoids injuries, he could be the next mystery spinner to make an impact for the Men in Blue.

Where to watch

The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also catch the action online on Disney+Hotstar. The match begins at 7.30 pm IST.