Let’s see if Andre Russell can fire vs SRH bowlers
doesn’t get reflected on the scoreboard. While RR’S flirtations with batting order must have helped KKR but DK was on top of his game. His field settings to Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane were superlative. That passage gave KKR the game.
During one of the after-match parties in 2016, my dear friend Andre Russell wanted me to dance. Honestly, I can’t shake a leg to save my life. I told the big man you win me the next game and I shall do break dance for you. He said, “I will skipper, you wait.” Well, he was Man of the Match in our next game against RCB. Russell kept his word but I’d leave you guessing if I kept mine or not. The way he played on Wednesday, he may still be continuing his promise to KKR fans.
But Russell may not get the same freedom against Sunrisers Hyderabad. It is a tribute to a culture setup by coach Tom Moody and his team that they haven’t missed David Warner at all. For me, Siddharth Kaul has stood out.
He has 19 wickets at an economy of 8 per over, which is incredible. Besides, there is not even a hint of ego in him as he plays support to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan. I see a slight edge for Hyderabad purely on their bowling prowess although they will be playing on a relatively smaller ground in Kolkata which can be difficult to defend.
Hyderabad may have an edge but I am in the purple camp. I promise this time I will break dance if Russell wins the game for KKR.
Dinesh Chopra Media KOLKATA:THE aura around Sunrisers Hyderabad hasn’t dimmed despite four successive defeats before Friday’s qualifier against Kolkata Knight Riders here. “They are probably the favourites,” said Heath Streak, bowling coach of KKR, on Thursday.
Streak did speak about the advantage of being backed by a vociferous Eden, the confidence KKR would take into the game after four consecutive victories, how the Knights are peaking at the right time but he isn’t undermining a team that won nine of their first 11 matches in IPL 11.
“T20 games are won or lost in two or three overs. So, we need to forget that and focus on tomorrow,” said SRH wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha who missed the last five games due to a shoulder injury and loss of form.
This is the third time in three seasons that KKR and SRH are meeting beyond the league phase. KKR won a rain-curtailed match last year but lost in the eliminator in 2016. From captains earning their keep to overcoming the absence of big-ticket Australian players --- David Warner for SRH and Mitchell Starc for KKR --- to having good bowling resources, this seems like a contest between similar teams.
But what the last four games have done for KKR is help their bowling unit become more efficient. From the time Andre Russell got wickets off successive deliveries against Kings XI Punjab to Wednesday’s eliminator, KKR’S pace bowlers have helped, in Streak’s words, get the team balance right.
Crucial to that is how Prasidh Krishna has shaped up. “He has pace and height. He is not letting batsmen guess what ball is coming next. Guys like Jaspreet Bumrah came on the scene doing exactly what he has. He is another one of those names IPL has unearthed,” said Streak.
The match could also hinge on which teams’ spinners make the best use of the track that could help them. SRH bring that element of unknown in that department, Saha said. “Not many know about Rashid Khan but we have all played Sunil Narine, Kuldeep (Yadav) and Piyush.”
If SRH have better swing bowlers, KKR have ones who are faster. If KKR have more experienced spinners, SRH have a leggie who has flummoxed Virat Kohli. KKR may bat deeper but in Kane Williams, SRH have the man with the Orange Cap.