It’s playoff season, and Kolkata Knight Riders are set to face off against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both teams are vying for a spot in the finals, promising an intense and thrilling battle. Each side will give their all, pouring heart and soul into the match to secure a victory. Fans can expect fierce competition as these two formidable teams clash with everything on the line. The stakes are high, and the excitement is palpable.
Andre Russell Before the match:
As the playoffs kick off, Andre Russell offered his perspective on the upcoming game. He shared his excitement and readiness, emphasizing the importance of staying focused and giving it their all. Russell’s insights reflect the team’s determination and drive to perform at their best in this crucial match.
He said, “ Feeling very good, I think we have been having a tremendous season, this is where all the teams strive to reach, we have a good thing going, I hope tonight we can keep playing some good positive cricket. (Having not played a game after 11th May due to inclement weather) We are still focused, we have no control over the weather, we were prepared to play warm-up and everything, the energy was still there. It looks like it’s going to be an amazing night tonight, no weather around, we are ready to play some cricket. I’m in good nick, I have been hitting the ball well, I missed out on a few innings where I could have pushed the score more.”
He added, “ With the balance in the team, it gives me the confidence to go out and play my shots. We have Rinku and Ramandeep behind, who can hit sixes and do what I do, it gives me freedom. Bowling as well, I’m happy to come on when the captain needs me and I’m doing a decent job with the ball. We have done some homework and we need to keep things simple. When you are under the pump as a bowling group, the opponent want you to try too many things and with a six-hitting team like this, they expect you to do something different. Once we stick to our lengths, big ground here tonight, we are going to utilise as much as we can and restrict them.”
Toss Update:
Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and chose to start their innings batting. This strategic move reflects their belief in establishing a strong target. Opting for offense initially, they intend to leverage favorable conditions and impose early pressure. The decision sets the tone for an intense playoff clash as they strive for dominance.
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer said, “ I would have loved to bowl. I had a chat with the curator and he said it’s a mixed soil, let’s see how it plays, hoping for a good game. Important that we keep the momentum going and stay in the present. Great achievement (finising at the top of the table) and everyone is proud of it, we are taking one match at a time and we need to be positive about what’s going to happen here. We are going with the same team.”
KKR’s Playing 11: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
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