Shakib-Mustafiz face-off in IPL likely today

What appear to be the two most formidable teams of IPL 2017, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, will face off in a mouth-watering game one of Saturday`s double-header at Eden Gardens.

One of the most consistent teams in the history of the IPL, two-time winners KKR are at the top of the IPL 2017 points table followed by defending champions SRH, but both teams have four points. Losing the explosive match-winner of their season opener, Chris Lynn, to a shoulder injury has not proved a deterrent for KKR as yet as skipper Gautam Gambhir has batted superbly, and sending Sunil Narine to open alongside him in the last match proved a masterstroke, for the West Indian spinner clouted 37 off 18 balls to fetch his first Man-of-the-Match award since the 2014 IPL. And with Umesh Yadav taking four wickets on Thursday, KKR`s bowling has risen a level.

After two fine wins, SRH were jolted by Mumbai Indians in their previous game. They will need to avoid losing ground, as they did last season during the first half of the tournament, and for that they need the middle order to deliver. The defending champions erred by dropping Moises Henriques, after he scored consecutive fifties, to accommodate Mustafizur Rahman in the last game. Henriques was a critical factor in SRH`s run to the title in 2016, and with excellent batting form in the first two games of 2017 it was a blunder to bench him, even given the promise that Mustafizur brought in. Gambling on a shaky middle order hurt SRH, and it is likely that they bring back Henriques.

Source: Times of India