IPL 2018: SRH vs KKR | 6 Cricketers who can change the game on their own


XtraTime Web Desk:
Indian Premier League is at its business end and five teams are currently fighting for the number three and number four spot as SunRisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have already reached the playoffs. On the way, table toppers SunRisers Hyderabad will face high on confidence Kolkata Knight Riders where it will be a must-win the game for KKR to seal their playoff spot with 16 points and on the flip side of it SRH would be looking to hold its top spot and get back their momentum ahead of the playoffs.

Here we will talk about the players who can change the game on their own in this game:

  • Kane Williamson: He got the captain’s armband this season after SunRisers Hyderabad’s regular skipper David Warner was banned from playing IPL due to ball tampering allegations. Williamson grabbed the chance with both hands to show his capability in the shortest form of the game. Due to the presence of Warner; Williamson didn’t feature most of the matches last season as only four foreign players can play in any team. But in this season as captain, he has scored 625 runs from 13 matches with an astonishing average of 62.50 and his strike rate is above 140 as well. He can be regarded as SRH’s pillar in batting and his batting form can be a cause of concerns for KKR tomorrow.
  • Shikhar Dhawan: ‘Gabbar’ has played 12 matches so far for the Orange Army and scored 387 runs as well with three half-centuries under his belt. In most of the matches he has given a good start to SRH and the batsmen down the order had capitalized on it. SRH team management would want the same from Dhawan in the remaining group league match and in the playoffs as well.
  • Rashid Khan: The star leg-spinner from Afghanistan is the trump card of SunRisers Hyderabad in the bowling department. He has taken 16 wickets so far in 13 matches with a brilliant economy rate of 7.17. Whenever the team needed a wicket in this season, he has risen to the occasion and delivered as well. On a track which is helpful to the spinners in Hyderabad, he can become the game changer for his side tomorrow in Hyderabad.

Kolkata Knight Riders

  • Dinesh Karthik: After Gautam Gambhir left KKR for Delhi Daredevils the team management replaced him with India’s veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik. Till now Karthik’s performance is satisfactory as he scored 412 runs from 13 matches with an amazing strike rate over 151. In many matches, he remained not out at the crease and took his side home. The team management would definitely want another classy knock from the skipper against SRH to seal their spot in the playoffs.
  • Sunil Narine: When KKR bought him back in 2011, he was a mystery spinner and great batsmen across the world failed to pick his action various times. Now the time has changed a lot after 7 long years. Beside his bowling, he is also the opener of team Kolkata Knight Riders and can destroy any bowling side with his bat any day. In this season he has scored 298 runs in 13 matches with a humongous strike rate of 182.82 to give KKR in most of the matches and not only that he also scored two half-centuries as well. In bowling, he still has the same venom as he has taken 13 wickets so far for his side and can be a game changer tomorrow against SRH.
  • Andre Russell: The star all-rounder is proving his worth for the two-time champions after a year ban as he is performing really well with both bat and ball for his side. Whenever the team is in danger his destructive batting pull out the team from their most of the time. With the ball also he took many crucial wickets in the vital times to take KKR to a victory and his form can be a game changer for KKR as well against SRH.