SRH have task cut out against KKR
kolkata — Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will have their task cut out when they take on a confident Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
The David Warner-skippered visitors have looked in good touch in their first three matches albeit succumbing to the guile of Mumbai Indians’ Harbhajan Singh and losing the previous encounter on the road. The timely blow, especially of Warner who was looking good for his polished 49, stalled SRH’S charge as they managed to post 158 in their 20 overs which eventually proved insufficient as Rohit Sharma and company won by four wickets with more than an over remaining.
But the reversal has been more of an aberration as SRH showed their class in their victory march over Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions in their first two matches.
SRH rode on a whirlwind 27ball 62 from seasoned campaigner Yuvraj Singh to post a mammoth 207 batting first, finally scripting a 35-run win. Captain Warner (76, 45b; 6x4, 4x6) and compatriot Moises Henriques (52, 39b; 6x4, 0x6) made short work of Lions’ modest 135 in their next game for a nine-wicket triumph.
But in KKR, the tourists will face a side basking in the glory of a marauding eight-wicket triumph over Kings XI Punjab on Thursday at the same venue.
Skipper Gautam Gambhir led from the front with an unbeaten 72 off 49 balls as the twice IPL champions recorded their season’s first home victory in style with 21 balls to spare.
Sunil Narine vindicated his team’s decision to promote him as an opening bat by cracking a 18-ball 37 to set the stage for his side’s win with Robin Uthappa (26 off 16) and Manish Pandey (25 off 16 not out) getting starts.
While chasing, KKR seemed to be preferring a foil to Gambhir who would whack the ball from the outset. — PTI