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A keyboard critic tweeted David Warner, the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, a day after their 22-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in the league stage. The message was clear: he wanted Yuvraj Singh to be sent in at No.3 in the batting order, given that most had failed in that slot in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League. However, the tone was condescending enough to elicit a reaction; Warner's reply was crisp, yet effective: 'Buddy, I am not being rude but stick to what you know best and let us do our job. We try our best.'
From a spectator's point of view, the frustration was apparent. After all, Sunrisers made their way to the top of the table early into the season and stayed there or thereabouts for a long time. On 16 points with two games to go, they were favourites to finish first. However, being outdone by two clinical performances from Delhi Daredevils and the Knight Riders, they ended up third. That second loss also meant Mumbai Indians were knocked out of the reckoning and the Knight Riders sealed the fourth spot for themselves.
With Gujarat Lions finishing first on 18 and Royal Challengers Bangalore pipping them on the basis of Net Run Rate, Sunrisers will have to contest the Eliminator of the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League against Knight Riders at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Wednesday (May 25).
The Sunrisers, like Royal Challengers, have been relying heavily on the start provided by their openers. Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have delivered in accordance, with at least one of the two scoring 30 runs or more in 13 of their 14 games. While the middle order has been iffy, Warner has led from the front and tried to consolidate on the start, which has paid dividends. The left-hander is the second-best run-getter of the season with 658 runs at an average of 54.83 with a strike-rate of over 150 - second to only Virat Kohli who has 919 runs.
Even against Knight Riders in their last group game, after Warner's early wicket, Dhawan went on to score 51 with Sunrisers on course to chase down the target of 172. However, a middle order collapse from 86 for 1 in the 12th over to being restricted to 148 for 8 in 20 saw the team crash to defeat. This will be a cause of concern for the side whose middle order hasn't been tested too much this season. Ashish Nehra's injury ruling him out of the tournament has hurt Sunrisers, but with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the phenomenon of Mustafizur Rahman holding it together, they are still a unit to reckon with. Barinder Sran has filled in that slot well, but the experience of Nehra at the top has been felt.
At the start of the season, Gautam Gambhir had enunciated the importance of a good start with early wins so that the pressure is less towards the end. The tournament, however, didn't pan out on the basis of the plan. Poor death bowling, inconsistency in the middle and only recently, the opening stand has disappointed. After forging a great partnership for most of the season, the last five games have seen the openers put up only 56 runs. However, Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey have stepped up in the middle to hold fort and keep their side in the game, and more often than not, finish it with favourable results. Andre Russell, had picked up 15 wickets in 12 matches with 188 runs to his name, before picking up a hamstring injury.
Russell's unavailability has dented the Knight Riders. But Sunrisers have had their share of troubles, too, with Ben Cutting recovering from a heatstroke he suffered ahead of the Delhi Daredevils game. Warner too was hit by the heat in Raipur against the Daredevils which forced him out of the second innings for about nine overs, while Morgan skippered the side in his absence, and continued for 14 overs. With the heat in Delhi just as simmering, despite it being a night game, how the players cope will influence the ultimate result majorly.
While Knight Riders are coming in with a win, Sunrisers are coming into the clash with a loss to the same opponent two days ago. If their record in the IPL against Sunrisers is anything to go by, then the Knight Riders go into tomorrow's clash as favourites, given that the side from Hyderabad hasn't been able to beat them this season. Kolkata have beaten Sunrisers six times in the IPL - the most that any team has. But, given Sunrisers' ability to come out on top and dominate the opposition with all-round performances like they have shown this season, one can count them out at their own peril.
Although, Kolkata have the momentum, in a battle of resilience, Delhi is in for a great contest that will determine the line-up for the Qualifier 2 that will be played on May 27 in the city - provided weather permits.
When: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Eliminator on May 25 at 20:00 IST
Where: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
What to expect: Delhi was hit by a massive dust storm and a heavy shower two days prior to the fixture. While the eve of the match was hot albeit with high amounts of humidity, the forecast for game day predicts a thunderstorm with a maximum of 41.
Team News:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Andre Russell is still recovering from the hamstring strain he picked up against Royal Challengers Bangalore. They have missed the services of the all-rounder in their last two games, but a decision on his fitness and inclusion will be made after required assessments tomorrow.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Ben Cutting is recovering from a heatstroke that ruled him out of the last two clashes. Replaced by Eoin Morgan and Kane Williamson in the games respectively, a decision will be made tomorrow regarding his inclusion. Albeit playing just one game, Cutting was instrumental in finishing the game for his side against Punjab.
Did you know:
David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan have scored 88 runs in the four innings between them in two matches against KKR in this IPL. They scored 100-plus against all other oppositions.
There have been no partnerships of fifty or more between Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa in the last five matches of KKR. In the nine games prior to it, they had five.
Among those who have played 100 or more matches in IPL, Yuvraj Singh has played in the least number of matches in Play Offs/ Knockouts. His solitary appearance was for KXIP in the inaugural season.
Squads:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (capt), Robin Uthappa (wk), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Andre Russell, Brad Hogg, Piyush Chawla, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Jason Holder, Colin Munro, Sheldon Jackson, Jaydev Unadkat, Rajagopal Sathish, Ankit Rajpoot.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Ricky Bhui, Trent Boult, Moises Henriques, Abhimanyu Mithun, Siddarth Kaul, Mustafizur Rahman, Naman Ojha, Karn Sharma, Tirumalsetti Suman, David Warner (Captain), Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Reddy, Bipul Sharma, Ben Cutting, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Eoin Morgan, Vijay Shankar, Barinder Sran, Aditya Tare, Kane Williamson.
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