Knight Riders test for surging Sunrisers

The Former’s well-oiled bowling unit vs the latter’s settled batting

The team rose to the Indian Premier League party later than expected. Just when Sunrisers Hyderabad was getting its act together, as was showcased during its successive wins, the Orange Army will have a lot to ponder over its combination ahead of the Friday night face-off versus fancied Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium here.

Sunrisers will be forced to seek a replacement for Washington Sundar. The reliable all-rounder split his webbing during the team’s win versus Gujarat Titans earlier in the week. With Washington ruled out, it will be interesting to see how Sunrisers rejig its combination to cover the spin-bowling base. It has at its disposal the Karnataka duo of leggie Shreyas Gopal and left-arm spinner J. Suchith, both effective batters. However, if the management feels the need to strengthen the big-hitting department in the lower order, it may pave the way for Abdul Samad’s return to the side. With a key player missing, Sunrisers will be hoping for its top five batters to continue to fire and make up for the absence of Washington. Rahul Tripathi will be gunning to go hard against his previous franchise. With Tripathi having found his touch along with Abhishek Sharma, and with the likes of captain Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram, it will be a treat for the spectators when the batting line-up comes up against one of the most effective bowling units of the tournament. The well-oiled KKR attack, with Umesh Yadav being a revelation, will be fresh after a four-day break.