IPL 2016: Fantasy Championship guide KKR v SRH

When MS Dhoni hit that helicopter over mid-wicket for six, every Indian fan jumped in jubilation, some couldn’t muster what had happened, while the others remarked it as ‘customary Dhoni’, but importantly it made us all realize that no matter which team you support, the love for the ‘leader’ of your nation never fizzes out. Then why does that love suddenly go out the window when the Indian Cricket team goes off on a bender?  There is no one like Dhoni, maybe there will be, but right now, let’s not question that man’s brilliance, let’s not force him to apply hair dye on his head, let’s just enjoy watch him work his magic on the field, for there is a lot more that he has in store for us.

Akshar Patel must be feeling disillusioned but this is what sport can do to you sometimes. It makes you question your abilities, it makes you wonder if you have ever been good enough, and that is where your mental strength kicks in. Never let an off day get to your head, attribute a freak incident to the brilliance of your opponent rather than the frailties in your skill set. Akshar has bowled beautifully right through, I am sure Dhoni will take good care of him after this.

KKR v SRH preview – IPL 9, Match 55 Preview: KKR aims to avoid elimination while SRH have top spot in mind

So, the drab encounter did not end up being so drab. Dhoni in his typical style took the game deep and then just believed in himself to knock over those 24 runs in the final over. He has always loved signing off in style and he couldn’t have done it in a better way (considering RPS’ league standing)

KXIP and RPSG have had a lot of positives to take from this IPL and despite their league standing, they would be happy that every game they played, they fought really hard and every game they played they had new heroes to look upto.

The evening game between the Lions and the Indians had a lot more riding on it (evident from the Bravo-Pollard incident). Mumbai were off to a flying start with the bat, thanks to a brilliant 15 minutes of batting display from Rohit Sharma, but as has always been the case, he couldn’t carry on. NitishRana then played a brilliant knock of 70 odd, ensuring that MI reached a par score on a fairly good batting track.

But the Lions batting made a complete mockery of that total, chasing it fairly easily in the 19th over itself. McCullum, Raina and Smith, all three came good and were aided by some mediocre bowling and fielding from the Mumbai Indians. They now have a very slim chance of making it to the playoffs, whereas the Lions have secured a playoff berth for themselves.

Let’s get to business now!

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Transfer out: Krunal Pandya

Transfer in: Yuzi Chahal

Last day of the group stage and we haven’t still figured out who is going to make the top 4. So much riding on this game with respect to the winner and the margin of victory.

KKR have had a mixed bag season, with different players stepping up in different games but rarely have they functioned well as a unit and that must be something that they would have stressed upon before going into this all-important game against the Sunrisers.

The Sunrisers have already qualified for the playoffs and would be wanting to cement their place in the top 2. Their team looks the most balanced side in this edition of the IPL and despite their recent loss against the Daredevils, they do look on course for a maiden IPL title.

Now, I already have David Warner, Robin Uthappa, Deepak Hooda and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar in my team for this game

With 3 transfers remaining and no player from the RCB side in my team, I don’t think I’ll be making more than 1 substitution for this game. Also, there is a rain forecast for the entire duration of the game and that aids my strategy of not going with more than one player, if at all.

A washout would be the best thing for both teams, as KKR will make it to the top 4 and Sunrisers would make it to the top 2.

Andre Russell’s availability for this fixture has still not been confirmed, but if he plays, it makes sense to get him in ahead of MustafizurRehman, as Russell gives you two scoring opportunities. Also, in a shortened game Russell is bound to play up the order, assuring you that he will get a chance to bat.

But I would advise you to make transfers for this game only if you have 4 or more transfers left, as the RCB fixture provides more scope for points.

Apart from Russell and Mustafizur, the players worth considering are Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj and Sunil Narine

Amongst the above-mentioned 3, Narine seems to be the best bet, especially if KKR bowl first. He has been getting a lot of purchase from the Eden Gardens track and though he has gone for a few runs in some games, he still demands respect from the batsman. Also, with 4 left handers in the SRH batting line up to play with, Narine would fancy his chances of getting at least 2 wickets today.

Among Pathan and Yuvi and I would opt for Pathan, because of his brilliant batting at the Eden Gardens and also because of the fact that he could be used as an off-spinner against the left-handed SRH batsmen.

For the uncapped player, I don’t think any uncapped player from both these sides is worth opting for, especially if it is a rain-curtailed game. So, I’ll go with one from Karun Nair and Yuzi Chahal (from the next game).

Batting captain: David Warner (if SRH bat first)/Robin Uthappa (if KKR bat first) 

I am going for a batsman who bats first because of the rain. 

Bowling captain: Bhuvaneshwar Kumar/Sunil Narine (if you get him in)