IPL 2025 KKR vs SRH: Alright, cricket fans, we’ve got a big one coming up. The finalists from IPL 2024 are set to battle it out again, but things are very different this season. KKR? Dead last on the points table. SRH? Not much better, sitting just two spots above them. Three matches into IPL 2025, and both teams are already scrambling for points. Ouch.
Now, they’re gearing up to face off at Eden Gardens on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 7:30 PM IST. But here’s the kicker: this game might be nothing like last season’s high-scoring slugfest. Both teams were smashing 200+ totals back then, but now? KKR is calling the shots on the pitch, and they’ve gone for the driest one available. Translation? Spin-heavy battle incoming.
Let’s break it all down.
The Pitch Drama: KKR Gets Its Way
So, there’s been a little back-and-forth between KKR and the Eden Gardens pitch curator. Apparently, they weren’t too happy with the surface, and after a bit of a standoff, they finally got to choose their battlefield. And they went all in on spin. They had two options: a dry pitch or an even drier one. They picked the latter. Bold move.
Now, this isn’t just a KKR problem. Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants have also been vocal about wanting surfaces tailored to their strengths. But technically, IPL rules don’t allow franchises to dictate pitch preparation. Still, here we are.
Dwayne Bravo, KKR’s mentor, had a pretty diplomatic take on it: “Assess the conditions, adjust to the conditions.” Sounds like solid advice… but was it also a warning shot for SRH? Because let’s be real—SRH loves flat tracks, and this pitch is the exact opposite of that.
Team News: Who’s In, Who’s Out?
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Injuries/Unavailability: Anrich Nortje is almost back to full fitness, but not quite there yet. So, don’t expect to see him on the field.
- Tactics & Matchups: With spin being the name of the game, Moeen Ali might replace Spencer Johnson. That gives them another spin option and strengthens the batting, which, let’s be honest, has been a little shaky.
- Probable XII: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora.
- Injuries/Unavailability: Anrich Nortje is almost back to full fitness, but not quite there yet. So, don’t expect to see him on the field.
- Tactics & Matchups: With spin being the name of the game, Moeen Ali might replace Spencer Johnson. That gives them another spin option and strengthens the batting, which, let’s be honest, has been a little shaky.
- Probable XII: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Injuries/Unavailability: No injury concerns.
- Tactics & Matchups: Pat Cummins vs. Sunil Narine? That’s a matchup to watch. Cummins has dismissed Narine twice in just seven deliveries in the IPL. With KKR stacking up on left-handers, Travis Head might have to bowl a few overs too.
- Probable XII: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar/Zeeshan Ansari, Adam Zampa.
Fun Stats & Record
- KKR leads the head-to-head battle with SRH, holding a dominant 19-9 win-loss record. Since 2020? They’ve won 9 out of 11 games. Ouch, SRH.
- SRH had the worst bowling average (37.54) and the second-worst economy rate (9.89) in IPL 2024. And guess what? Their economy rate is still the worst in IPL 2025. Not exactly a stat to brag about.
- Sunil Narine has gone wicketless in 14 out of 25 IPL matches against SRH. Will that trend continue?
- SRH has the best powerplay scoring rate this season (11.88 runs per over). But there’s a catch—they’ve also lost 7 wickets in the powerplay, the most by any team. Risky business.
What They’re Saying
- wayne Bravo (KKR Mentor): “I don’t know much about pitches. For me, the team who plays the best on the day will win. So, whether the pitch is slow, whether it’s turning, whether it’s not turning, my advice to the players will always be to make the necessary assessments and play according to the conditions.”
- Ryan Cook (SRH Fielding Coach): “Both teams have very long batting line-ups. To get through them is not easy. Last game that we were here, it was a 200 plays 200. It was a close game. Looking forward to another one of those.”
Final Thoughts
So, what’s the verdict? This match is going to be a wild test for both teams. KKR is banking on spin to climb out of the bottom of the table. SRH is about to face a serious challenge on a pitch that does not suit their usual game. Will KKR’s strategy work, or will SRH’s batting firepower prove too much? One thing’s for sure: it won’t be another run-fest like last season.
Set your reminders—Thursday, April 3, 7:30 PM IST. Eden Gardens. IPL 2025 KKR vs SRH. You don’t want to miss this one.
