It is a clash between two sides, who lost their opening encounters, respectively, in IPL 2026. And now, KKR and SRH would be raring to make amends and get their campaign on track. Talking specifically about Kolkata, they were clinical with the bat, but as bad, when it came to defending. They lost, despite scoring 220 in 20 overs. Thanks to some poor bowling.
SRH also have some issues in their line up, and KKR must look to bounce back. InsideSport takes a look at the Strongest KKR playing vs SRH.
Batting fine, no changes needed
One of the aspects that KKR aced in their first encounter was, their batting. Rahane got 67 from 40 deliveries, Allen got 37 from 17, Raghuvanshi got 51 from 29, while VC Rinku Singh got 33 from 21. All did not even get a chance to bat — with Ramandeep, Anukul Roy, and Sunil Narine still left.
Spin okay, pace-department screams changes
As was predicted before the start of IPL 2026, KKR was going to be in trouble for their pace bowling. The absence of Harshit Rana and Akash Deep will put a lot of pressure on them. The first player they need to change is Ramandeep Singh. In order to add a bit of at the end, the all-rounder was included, but as it is, Kolkata is filled with batters who can score quick.
Getting Ramandeep would make sense, only if he bowls, but that did not happen. In his place they should be getting either Navdeep Saini or Umran Malik. Umran’s IPL economy is at 9.39, while Saini’s is 8.88.
Give 6’5 Saurabh Dubey a chance
When there is a crunch of pacers in the camp, it was a bit surprising that KKR did not include tall left-arm pacer Dubey in the side. Not only could he create an awkward angle with his height, but not many batters would have the experience of playing him. He had a decent run in the List A format, where he has 16 wickets in 8 matches, economy is only 5.79.
If the team feels that their batting is getting compromised, they can very well keep Ramandeep as an impact sub, if they bat second. If they bat first, the scenario reverses.
Strongest KKR Playing XI vs SRH
Finn Allen, Rahane, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Navdeep Saini, Varun Chakaravarthy, Saurabh Dubey, Blessing Muzarabani.
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