IPL 2018: Qualifier 2, Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders– Expectation vs Reality

The finale of the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is just around the corner with just one more match to lead up to the grand gala. With the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) already having qualified for the final game, Friday will witness the emergence of the second finalist for the season. Will it be the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) or will it be the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)?

The second qualifier is guaranteed to be a nail-biting affair as both the teams that have made it up to here are equally deserving and lethal as a unit. While SRH have worked magic with their bowling attack, equally adept with pace as well as spin, KKR have produced some brilliant knocks with the willow. Before the real action starts, let’s take a look at what we’re expecting from this encounter.

Sunil Narine to give KKR a major boost

Irrespective of whether his team is batting first or second, Sunil Narine has been able to be a major pillar for KKR with both the bat and the ball. His quickfire knocks up the innings have provided KKR with the just the sort of flourishing start every team dreams of and not many oppositions have been able to come up with a foolproof contingency plan to put a brake to Narine’s juggernaut.

Narine already has 331 runs in 15 innings at a mind-boggling strike rate of 189.14 and can be expected to perform in the same fashion. Further, considering how the Eden Gardens pitch played on Wednesday in the eliminator, the turf can be expected to provide quite some turn to a bowler like Sunil Narine, who can very well be seen bettering his tally of 16 wickets in this IPL season.

Rashid Khan-Siddarth Kaul to leave the opposition fumbling

It’s no secret that Rashid Khan has been a major headache for every batting side in IPL 2018 thus far, having emerged as the most potent bowler for SRH. Pacer Siddarth Kaul has been equally effective for his team with 19 wickets in his kitty. In a match as crucial as the second qualifier which is their final hurdle between that coveted finals spot, this destructive duo can be expected to leave the KKR batsmen flabbergasted with their bowling.

SRH would have been monitoring the eliminator played in Kolkata with a triumphant smile on their faces as the pitch looked to be ideal for a spinner like Rashid Khan. The fact that Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla bagged 3 scalps between themselves, while keeping the run flow at a bare minimum, Khan might just find the turn offered by the pitch to be perfect for his liking. Kaul, on his part,  can be expected to assist Khan from the other end with his feisty pace.