IPL 2021: Match 49 KKR vs SRH Preview, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

The Kolkata Knight Riders have received a new lease of life in the form of Venkatesh Iyer. Ever since the 26-year-old took guard for the Eoin Morgan-led side in the second half of the IPL, the two-time IPL champions have played with a sense of spirit and purpose.

In the second half of the tournament, the KKR side has managed to win 3 out of their 5 matches, with Iyer leading the way. The left-hander has scored 193 runs in 5 innings in the tournament and has scored his runs at an imposing strike rate of 141.91. While Iyer has hogged the spotlight, there have been a few support casts who have performed their respective roles with aplomb as well.

Rahul Tripathi has scored in excess of 30 in 3 out of the 4 innings that he has played in IPL Phase 2, while Varun Chakravarthy has picked up 6 wickets in the UAE leg, and has been economical as well. Nitish Rana has also chipped in with useful cameos for the KKR side.

However, if there is one cause of concern for the Kolkata side, then it is the form of their skipper Eoin Morgan. The left-hander has been abysmal with the bat in the UAE leg of the IPL and has scored a grand total of just 17 runs in 4 innings. Aakash Chopra even stated that he wants Shakib Al Hasan to replace Morgan as the KKR skipper.

In their previous encounter, the KKR outfit went down to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) side in a thrilling contest. Even though the Eoin Morgan-led side posted a competitive total of 165/7 on the board, the Punjab Kings chased down the target with 5 wickets to spare.

The Sunrises Hyderabad (SRH) side, on the other hand, has been abysmal in the tournament. The ‘Orange Army’ has been unable to up the ante in the crucial moments of a match, and is languishing helplessly at the last spot in the points table, having won just 2 out of their 11 matches.

In their previous rubber, the Hyderabad outfit went down to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side. Hyderabad posted a total of 134/7 on the board, and the ‘Men in Yellow’ chased down the target with 6 wickets to spare.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) now have no chances to qualify for the Playoffs this year, and will have to play for pride from here on. On the other hand, this match is an extremely crucial one for the Kolkata side. There are three teams that are tied at 10 points, and KKR needs to post a win to maintain its place in the Top 4. Can the ‘Orange Army’ upset KKR’s plans, or will the two-time IPL champions brush aside a lackluster SRH outfit?

Pitch and Conditions

The chasing side has won the last 3 matches that were played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and that should give an idea of what the team that wins the toss should opt to do. The batsmen can score runs if they get their eye in and play out the initial few deliveries. The spinners will also play a key role on this pitch.

Playing Combinations for KKR vs SRH

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) might want to give Shakib Al Hasan a look-in, in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in place of Tim Siefert. The other possible change that the KKR side might make is, Prasidh Krishna might come into the side in place of Shivam Mavi.

Predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (C), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Tim Seifert/Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Prasidh Krishna/Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad is expected to field the same side from their previous match.

Predicted XI: Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson (C), Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

KKR vs SRH Head-to-Head

Played – 20| Kolkata Knight Riders – 13 | Sunrisers Hyderabad – 7| N/R – 0

KKR vs SRH Broadcast Details

Match Timings – 07:30 PM IST

TV – Star Sports Network

Live Streaming – Disney+Hotstar