Starc and Cummins go head-to-head
The Indian batter, after missing the entire season last year due to a back injury, returns to lead KKR, which has made some tactical additions while keeping the nucleus of the side intact.
Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins
KOLKATA: Shreyas Iyer’s comeback from a long injury layoff will be in focus as IPL’s two biggest signings, Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, go head to head in Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Saturday.
The Indian batter, after missing the entire season last year due to a back injury, returns to lead KKR, which has made some tactical additions while keeping the nucleus of the side intact.
Shreyas sparkled with the bat with a 95 in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy triumph recently but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be available for all the matches, given his fitness concerns. KKR’s most successful leader Gautam Gambhir is back in his second innings as a mentor. His partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, a shrewd tactician in domestic circuit, will be the key to its revival.
But SRH, under the shrewd captaincy of Cummins, will definitely fancy its chances. Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen’s batting firepower in the power-play and death overs will be vital.
Its bowling also looks balanced with the experienced Cummins and India’s veteran death-overs specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the line-up, while the likes of Washington Sundar and Wanindu Hasaranga will be crucial in the spin department. It remains to be seen whether Hasaranga, the ace Sri Lankan allrounder who has been banned by the ICC for the Tests against Bangladesh, will be available for SRH’s opener.