IPL 2018: KKR vs SRH, Knight Riders probable playing XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Eden Gardens play host to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as two times Champions Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Match 10 of IPL 2018 on Saturday evening.

Which fantasy game are you playing this year? StarPick is the new one on the block, and it has a lot of exciting features along with millions in prize money. You can create your StarPick team here.

Kolkata Knight Riders already lost their star signing Mitchell Starc because of an injury. KKR so far has won one and lost one game. They beat Royal Challengers Bangalore at home but lost to Chennai Super Kings away. This will be their third game of the seasonand Dinesh Karthik will look to maintain a perfect home record.

On that note, let’s take a look at the KKR XI that will take the field on Saturday.

---

Openers

Aussie star Chris Lynn will most likely open the batting for Kolkata Knight Riders. Though he was not in great touch in the first two games, no ground is big enough when he gets going.

With 295 runs in seven games, Lynn was excellent for KKR in IPL 2017. His average last season was 49 and the strike rate 180.

Spinner turned Opener, Sunil Narine surprised everyone in IPL 2017. He opened the batting with Chris Lynn and was exceptional at the top.

He was exceptional for Knight Riders in the first game when he scored a brilliant 50 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Middle-order

Uthappa needs to come good for KKR

Here comes Kolkata's linchpin. In the absence of Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa holds the key to KKR’s fortunes this season.

In a batting lineup full of aggressive hitters, Uthappa will bring a sense of calmness. He was in good touch against Chennai Super Kings but was unlucky to get run-out on 29. Time for a big innings from Uthappa.

Nitish Rana made an important 34 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in his first game, but was dismissed for 16 in his second.

He is getting used to the conditions at the Eden Gardens. Expect him to take the No.4 slot in the KKR batting line up.

Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik will captain the side once again. He is in good form at the moment.

Karthik scored an unbeaten 35 against Bangalore but was dismissed for 26 against the Chennai Super Kings. He will complete the KKR middle-order.

Lower Middle-order

No ground is big enough for Andre Russell

Shubman Gill will most-likely replace Rinku Singh. Singh failed in his first two games for the Knight Riders.

Gill was a part of the Indian team that lifted the under-19 World Cup. The 18-year-old batsman from Punjab was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 1.8 crore.

Andre Russell is back. Though he was subdued in his first game of the season, he was devastating in his second.

He scored an unbeaten 88 off 36 balls against the Chennai Super Kings at the Chepauk, comprised of 11 sixes and a four. He is a permanent fixture in the KKR eleven.

Though Piyush Chawla went for runs in the game against CSK, expect him to retain his place in the team.

Eden Gardens pitch is known for assisting spinners and expects nothing different on Saturday. Chawla's leg-spin will give a lot of bowling options for Dinesh Karthik and his experience could prove vital.

Bowlers

Kuldeep Yadav is one of the best spinners in the shorter formats

Expect KKR to replace Vinay Kumar with Kamlesh Nagarkoti. Vinay was very poor in his first two games, leaking a lot of runs.

KKR paid a whopping Rs 3.2 crores to buy the 18-year-old Indian under-19 pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

He clocked speeds of 145 kmph in the U-19 World Cup and helped the team to win the tournament.

The English medium-pacer Tom Curran will most-likely retain his place in the team. Since Mitchell Johnson went for a lot of runs in the first game, Kolkata would want to give Curran a longer run in the team.

Kuldeep Yadav will retain his place in the team. Though he is not in a great rhythm at the moment, he has done exceptionally well in the last 12 months. His variations could prove very effective on the Eden Gardens wicket.

---

Our tournament homepage has IPL live score, Match Analysis, Detailed Stats, Fantasy Tips, Controversies, Match Predictions and much more. Bookmark it now!