Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2020 Match 35: SRH vs KKR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SRH vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Today | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

Crucial match. As the top three teams pull away in the playoff race, a number of teams will be vying for that fourth playoff spot, which remains quite open.

Kolkata Knight Riders currently occupy the slot, but head into this game on the back of some poor form – they have lost each of their last two games. In fact, even before that, KKR were the beneficiaries of poor cricket from Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab to help them steal two victories. So, much rests on an experienced but inconsistent middle order, as well as whether major purchase Pat Cummins can find his rhythm.

The stakes are high. For Sunrisers Hyderabad, the equation is simple. It’s either win this game and go fourth, or lose this game and sit four points outside the top four. Like KKR, SRH have failed to nail down their combinations, but will want to build on positives such as the form of Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan, as well as T Natarajan.

So, which team will shine brightest in the sunlight of Abu Dhabi?

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Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• David Warner has been in the runs in IPL 2020, but hasn’t been at his free-flowing best. Could this be the day he goes big? Warner has the most runs in SRH-KKR matches (569, avg. 43.77, SR 150.13).
• His opening partner, Jonny Bairstow, has struck three half-centuries in eight games in IPL 2020. In three games vs KKR, Bairstow has hit 124 runs at 62.00, including 80 last season.
• However, the battle of the SRH openers vs Pat Cummins will be key. Cummins had the better of the battle in the previous meeting between the sides. Also, Cummins has bowled Bairstow in the last two meetings between the players (ENG vs AUS 3rd ODI and SRH vs KKR IPL 2020). So, can Cummins get his first wicket in five games here?
• Shubman Gill hit 70* vs SRH on this ground (Abu Dhabi) earlier in IPL 2020. Since then, he has made a plethora of starts (47, 28, 11, 57, 34 and 21). Can he get a start here and then build on it?
• Manish Pandey starred for SRH in their game vs KKR earlier this season (51 off 39 balls).
• Kane Williamson has been in fine touch in his last three games – 20* (10), 22* (12) and 57 (39). His overall record vs KKR is modest (7 inns, 168 runs, avg. 28.00 SR 126.32), but his recent form suggests he can certainly deliver today.
• Andre Russell’s struggles vs the short ball were there to see vs MI. However, SRH don’t possess the same pace, so can Russell fire today? However, he will have to improve a poor record for KKR vs SRH: 8 inns, 102 runs, avg. 14.57, SR 164.52.
• Can the new KKR skipper, Eoin Morgan, play a captain’s knock? He struck 42* (29) vs SRH earlier this season.
• Rashid Khan has the potential to derail KKR’s batting effort. He has taken 1/25 and 3/14 at Abu Dhabi so far in IPL 2020. Can he build on his eight career wickets in nine games vs KKR?
• Khaleel Ahmed has taken 27 wickets in his last 15 IPL matches, including eight in six games in IPL 2020.
• Varun Chakravarthy has been economical at Abu Dhabi this season (1/25, 1/28, 0/27 and 1/23). Plenty could rest on both he and Shivam Mavi, who has six wickets in six games in IPL 2020.
• Can T Natarajan put a lid on KKR’s death over scoring? The yorker specialist has taken nine wickets in eight games in IPL 2020.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 18, SRH 7, KKR 11.
• Andre Russell strikes at 184 vs Rashid Khan. So, could Khaleel Ahmed and T Natarajan keep the Jamaican quiet? Russell has the poorest batting average (7.9) against pacers this IPL (minimum 30 balls).
• Rashid Khan should be kept for Dinesh Karthik, if possible. Karthik has been dismissed to legspin on four out of six occasions in IPL 2020 (15 deliveries).
• Should KKR bring Kuldeep Yadav back? He has 10 wickets in nine matches against them.
• Jonny Bairstow averages 18 against the incoming delivery in T20s. Pat Cummins is capable of bowling this – he has dismissed Bairstow in their last two T20s against each other.

Possible Playing 11

KKR brought in Chris Green last game. However, they could be better served playing Lockie Ferguson to add another dimension to their attack, as well as Kuldeep Yadav as he has a good record vs SRH.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Rahul Tripathi, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Eoin Morgan (c), 5. Andre Russell, 6. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7. Pat Cummins, 8. Lockie Ferguson/Chris Green, 9. Kuldeep Yadav/Prasidh Krishna, 10. Varun Chakravarthy, 11. Shivam Mavi

SRH will need a big performance from their top order.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1. David Warner (c), 2. Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Kane Williamson, 5. Priyam Garg, 6. Vijay Shankar, 7. Rashid Khan, 8. Shahbaz Nadeem, 9. Sandeep Sharma, 10. Khaleel Ahmed, 11. T Natarajan

Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report

The chasing team has won the past two games at Abu Dhabi, but these were by the mighty Mumbai Indians. Will either team have the confidence to chase a score? Both teams do look more comfortable setting a score, so that could be the case here. A total of 170 could be very competitive.

Dream11 Prediction

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Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

50-50. Toss of the coin. As many games in IPL 2020 have shown, any team can win even when they seem dead and buried. This one could go down to the wire, and will depend on which team can handle the death overs better. Batting first and reaching 170+ could prove key.

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