KKR Take On SRH

KOLKATA: Shreyas Iyer’s comeback from a long injury layoff will be in focus as IPL’s two biggest signings, Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, go head to head in Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Saturday.

The Indian batter, after missing the entire season last year due to a back injury, returns to lead KKR, who have made some tactical additions while keeping the nucleus of the side intact.

Shreyas sparkled with the bat with a 95 in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy triumph recently but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be available for all the matches, given his fitness concerns.

KKR’s most successful leader Gautam Gambhir is back in his second innings as a mentor. His partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, a shrewd tactician in domestic circuit, will be the key to their revival.

The biggest signing of this IPL is with KKR, and by acquiring Starc at a record sum of Rs 24.75-crore, the left-arm quick will be under huge pressure to perform.

His spell in power-play and the death overs will be the key. Starc and Andre Russell are the only two experienced pacers in KKR’s ranks, and with no likefor-like replacements for them, their workload management will be crucial.

KKR boast of a star-studded toporder batting lineup in Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas to go with the Russell-Rinku Singh firepower at the death.

But the Gambhir-mentored side will rely heavily on the home conditions to offer some spin so as to give the likes of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma some assistance.

Starc will have his skipper Cummins leading SRH in the adjacent dugout as the Australian captain will also have his task cut out. Cummins (Rs 20.50-crore) is the third-most expensive buy in this IPL and all eyes will be on him to revive the fortunes of the side that has had two wooden-spoon finishes in the last two seasons.

On paper, KKR with a star-studded batting and spin-heavy attack to complement Starc’s pace, will be overwhelming favourites.

Time: 7.30PM IST.