For Kolkata Knight Riders, a favorable head-to-head record (19-9) and the home advantage should provide reassurance in this vital match at Eden Gardens in the City of Joy.
Last year’s finalists, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), are both struggling this season with just one win each, and they will seek to regain their form when they clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Eden Gardens on Thursday.
Defending champions KKR will face the challenge of managing SRH’s powerful batsmen while also unlocking its own batting capabilities.
KKR has faced difficulties, with only three batsmen—Quinton de Kock, captain Ajinkya Rahane, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi—contributing nearly 60 percent of the team’s runs.
KKR’s inadequate score of 116, resulting in a heavy defeat to Mumbai Indians, calls for some changes to rejuvenate its batting lineup, particularly involving Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Andre Russell, in what is a batting-friendly environment.
The fact that SRH’s Travis Head, Aniket Verma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen have collectively scored more runs than KKR’s total (443) over three matches highlights the significant disparity in batting strength between the two sides.
Nonetheless, KKR can learn from the early breakthroughs achieved by Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals to limit the scoring of SRH’s batsmen.
KKR Bowler Strategies
The team’s opening bowlers, including Spencer Johnson and Harshit Rana, need to make early strikes during the PowerPlay to set the stage for the spinners, such as Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy.
After experiencing two losses, SRH, which started strong by aiming for the highest IPL score, will hope to achieve another significant total.
The bowling attack led by Pat Cummins, featuring Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, and Adam Zampa, possesses enough strength to confront any opponent.
For KKR, a solid head-to-head record (19-9) and the comfort of playing at home should provide confidence as they face this critical challenge.