Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are all geared up to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the third game of the ongoing IPL 2024 season to get their campaign underway. The fixture will also be the season opener for Sunrisers who are coming into the tournament with a newly appointed skipper Pat Cummins.
The match will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and therefore the KKR fans are expected to turn up in large numbers to support their side against the 2016 IPL winners.
KKR have been bolstered by the return of their skipper Shreyas Iyer who missed the previous season due to back surgery. He was struggling with back spasms during the recent Ranji Trophy season and that also hampered his participation for Mumbai in the tournament, however, he seems to be fit now and is raring to go.
Other than Shreyas, all eyes will be on Mitchell Starc, who is the most expensive buy in the history of the Indian Premier League. KKR spent INR 24.75 crore to acquire the services of Starc at the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai in December last year.
KKR have forged a reunion with Gautam Gambhir who is their newly appointed mentor and his inputs are expected to take the side a long way in the 17th edition of the IPL.
On the other hand, SRH have a new captain and coach pair in the form of Cummins and Daniel Vettori. Interestingly, it was Aiden Markram who led them in the previous season and won the SA20 for the second time in a row while leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape but SRH feel that Cummins is better equipped to lead the side in the IPL.
Head-to-head record between KKR and SRH
Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad have faced each other 25 times in the IPL and KKR have the upper hand. KKR have won 16 out of the 25 games whereas SRH have only won nine fixtures against the two-time IPL champions.
