IPL 2023: Match 47, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Predicted Playing XI vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

After losing to Gujarat Titans in their last match, Kolkata Knight Riders are in a tight spot at the moment in the ongoing IPL 2023. Next up, they are going to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 4 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Ahead of that, they need to improve by a significant margin as middle order batters are not being able to deliver while the pacers have looked extremely ordinary so far.

Check Here👉 SRH vs KKR Live Score and Updates

With the bat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was terrific in the last match but with Jason Roy not fit, it will be interesting to see how KKR adjusts both these cricketers in the same XI. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh started the season in a brilliant fashion but hasn’t been able to perform in the last few matches.

Sunil Narine, on the other hand, has been fairly ordinary this season thus far. So, will KKR make any changes to their squad for their game against SRH? Let’s dissect -

Here's Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Openers: N Jagadeesan (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Narayan Jagadeesan has been very ordinary with the bat so far in the tournament. He has managed to score only 89 runs in six matches so far and that is apparently not acceptable from an opener in the Indian Premier League.

He is also taking a lot of time to settle down and that needs to change. Notably, KKR do not have enough options in the reserves to replace him as the only viable option that remains is Jason Roy. Who might play but at the moment, KKR cannot afford to drop any other foreigner.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz could be one of the options but in the last match itself, the Afghan opener smacked 81 runs off just 39 deliveries against a quality bowling unit of Gujarat Titans. Thus, based on his form, it will be difficult for the franchise to drop him and thus, it is very likely for KKR to continue with the same opening combination in the next match.

Middle Order: Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh

Flamboyant batter Venkatesh Iyer has been very inconsistent in the ongoing season. After hitting his maiden IPL century against Mumbai Indians, Iyer has scored only 62 runs in his last four appearances. Overall, the 28-year-old has scored 296 runs in nine matches but he will be aiming to get better and once again play a match-winning knock in favour of Knight Riders.

Skipper Nitish Rana is another such player who has been very consistent in the tournament. He has scored 233 runs in nine matches so far and has done reasonably well from time to time but being the captain, he needs to lead by example and will hope to get better. When it comes to his captaincy, some of his decisions have been questionable so far and maybe with experience, the cricketer will get better at it.

Rinku Singh, meanwhile, started the season in a remarkable fashion but has struggled in the last two matches. However, given his quality, the 25-year-old has the ability to bounce back and make a significant contribution in the forthcoming match against the Aiden Markram-led side. Overall, he has smashed 270 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 151.68.

All-rounders: Andre Russell, David Wiese, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur

Andre Russell was back at his very best in the last match against Gujarat Titans. In 19 deliveries, the West Indies international smashed 34 runs and gave KKR a much-needed acceleration towards the fag end of their innings. 

However, he will have to play a similar brand of cricket for the remaining games as well, since KKR are currently eighth on the IPL points table and need to win the majority of their matches if not all in order to qualify for the playoffs.

David Wiese has played quick cameos so far and he has done reasonably well. Thus, KKR management may back him against SRH. However, if they decide to include Jason Roy into the mix or Lockie Ferguson, then Wiese might spend his time on the bench. 

Sunil Narine has picked up seven wickets in nine matches so far and has an economy rate of 8.81. That proves he is having a terrible season and that is one of the reasons behind KKR’s downfall in the ongoing season. Just like Russell, the 34-year-old is a very important part of the squad and thus, he will have to bounce back in order to bail KKR out of a difficult situation.

Team management’s decision to bring Shardul Thakur into the mix against Gujarat was rather a strange one as the all-rounder didn’t bowl a single over. Notably, he has already missed quite a few matches in the season due to injury and bringing him only for batting made very little sense. However, it is very likely that the management will back him in the upcoming match as well but it will be interesting to see if he bowls.

Bowlers: Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy

Replacing Umesh Yadav in the last match, Harshit Rana bowled three overs, conceded 25 runs and picked up the wicket of Hardik Pandya. Thus, it’s very likely that the Nitish Rana-led side will back him against SRH as he has the calibre to do really well.

When it comes to Varun Chakravarthy, he has been Kolkata’s best bowler in the ongoing season. The spin wizard has picked up 13 wickets in nine matches so far and with that, he is currently ninth on the IPL Purple Cap list. Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, where the spinners usually get some assist, Chakravarthy can wreak havoc and thus, he will be one of the players to watch out for.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Probable Playing XI:

N Jagadeesan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, David Wiese, Shardul Thakur, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Probable Impact Players

Umesh Yadav, Anukul Roy, Mandeep Singh, Suyash Sharma, Lockie Ferguson