SRH vs KKR pits two teams who have only won three matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. Both teams must pick up points consistently to retain their playoff hopes. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have met once this season, and the Orange Army won the match by 23 runs at Eden Gardens. 

The match will take place at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on Thursday at 7:30 PM. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH needs its key batsmen to perform consistently to have any hopes of finishing in the top four. Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen were the top performers in the victory over Delhi Capitals (DC). After his half-century against KKR, Aiden Markram managed just 45 in four innings. Rahul Tripathi and Harry Brook, too, have been inconsistent this season.   

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has excelled in the last few games, picking up wickets in the powerplay. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer T Natarajan has finally found his mojo after leaking runs in the opening few matches. Mayank Markande has been SRH’s star bowler. The spinner has taken ten wickets at an economy of 6.41. With Akeal Hosein making his IPL bow in SRH’s last game, the franchise now has a quality spin attack.

Kolkata Knight Riders 

KKR will rely on its batting unit, which has improved as the season progresses. Rahmanullah Gurbaz top-scored in KKR’s last game with a beautiful 81. As Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, and Rinku Singh are in fine nick, it is expected that KKR can post a big score or chase down a challenging total. Aso, Andre Russell found form, scoring a quickfire 34 in his 100th IPL game.  

The bowling unit, especially the pace bowlers, is the biggest headache for KKR coaching staff. Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur have fallen well below expectations. It is spinners who have impressed so far. Varun Chakravarthy and uncapped Suyash Sharma have taken 22 wickets between them. However, seasoned campaigner Sunil Narine hasn’t been able to pick up wickets regularly.

SRH vs KKR Head-to-Head

SRH and KKR have met 24 times, with the two-time champions winning 15 times, while the Hyderabad-based side clinched nine victories. In the last meeting between the two sides, SRH grabbed a 23-run win over KKR at Eden Gardens. Harry Brook won the player of the match award for his 55-ball 100.  

SRH vs KKR Last Five Meetings

SRH vs KKR IPL 2023 Stats

• Top Run-scorer: Mayank Agarwal – 170 runs (SRH); Venkatesh Iyer – 296 runs (KKR)
• Most Wickets: Mayank Markande – 10 wickets (SRH); Varun Chakravarthy – 13 wickets (KKR)
• Most Sixes: Heinrich Klaasen – 8 sixes (SRH); Rinku Singh – 19 sixes (KKR)

SRH vs KKR – Who Will Win?

With two of the best teams in the IPL facing off against each other, we can expect a thrilling battle. KKR has a slight advantage over SRH due to its batters’ quality and their excellent performances this season.