IPL 2020: KKR vs SRH Game Plan 1 – Hold back Rashid Khan for KKR’s key batsmen

The eighth match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, could all be about match-ups. We take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the eighth game of IPL 2020 – KKR vs SRH

As usual leg-spinner Rashid Khan will be SRH’s major threat against KKR. In SRH’s first match of the season against RCB, the duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers preferred to play him out like most of the batsmen did throughout the 2019 IPL season.

KKR vs SRH – Rashid Khan against KKR’s death hitters

With the duo of Shubman Gill and Sunil Narine pretty good against leg-spin, it wouldn’t be wise to bring on Rashid Khan early. However, if Nitish Rana is at the crease, David Warner might be forced to bring in Rashid for an over or two as the southpaw hasn’t been great against leg-spin over the past three seasons. He has averaged a mere 17.78 and maintained a strike-rate of 111.11 against this particular bowling type.

KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik has been pretty safe against leg-spin but his overall stats against spin bowling is a lot more sedate when compared to the fast bowlers.

When it comes to the danger-man Andre Russell, bowling Rashid might be a gamble worth taking. The Afghan spinner has taken Russell’s wicket once while conceding eight runs off eight balls in the IPL. With SRH. In the recently concluded CPL, Russell smacked a couple of sixes off Rashid’s bowling but the leggie finally got his man in his final over.

It also remains to be seen whether SRH opt for Mohammad Nabi or Kane Williamson in place of Mitchell Marsh who has been ruled out of the tournament. If Nabi comes into the line-up, the side will have another option to tackle Nitish Rana who is considered to be a superb player of slow bowling despite his poor statistics against leg-spinners. SRH would dearly need all these big wickets since KKR have been the second-best side during the death overs over the last three seasons (among active teams).

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