Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad 14/05/2022

On the face of it, if you take a cursory look at the points table, there may not seem much of a difference between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders. The former is placed sixth and the latter seventh and both have equal number of wins (5) and points (10), and both face an uphill battle to qualify for the playoff. However, there is one difference that can prove pivotal at this stage of the tournament: Hyderabad have played a game less, which will give them a bit of a cushion when these sides meet at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on May 14 (Saturday). The match is to begin at 7:30pm IST.

Teams Status

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad being the hottest team in this year’s IPL and riding a five-match winning streak is now becoming a distant memory. And that’s because that winning streak has been immediately followed by four straight defeats.

This change in fortunes means that while at one point Hyderabad making the playoffs was thought of as a certainty, they now have a fight on their hands to do the same.

With the round-robin stage heading towards its conclusion, Hyderabad are two spots off the last playoff position and could potentially be demoted further if Punjab Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by a healthy margin tonight.

The extra game in hand, however, gives them an edge, albeit a slim one.

While four defeats on the bounce is a big concern in itself, the manner of their last defeat should be making Hyderabad faithful more nervous. Their beloved team was able to muster just 125 runs in reply to Bangalore’s 192 on Sunday. This is not the kind of game and form one should be showing at this end of the season.

Kolkata Knight Riders

For Kolkata, the situation is even more stark. While Hyderabad may have a bit of a room to falter, Kolkata just can’t. If they lose this one, their already slim playoff hopes would end.

With that being the bad news, the good thing is that they have won two of their last three. The one they lost in that sequence was a very bad defeat: a 75-run shellacking at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants, against whom they got bundled out for a mere 101.

Another bad news for Kolata is that their Australian superstar Pat Cummins has left the tournament due to a hip injury and will not return.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Brand	Kolkata Knight Riders	Sunrisers Hyderabad
	1.80	1.98
	1.86	2.068
	1.82	2.0

Kolkata are placed lower on the points table and have just lost a major player but they are still the favourites for this IPL fixture. Parimatch has Kolkata priced at 1.80 and Hyderabad at 1.98. Paripesa has Kolkata available for 1.86 and Hyderabad for 2.068. Lastly, Sportsbet has Kolkata priced at 1.82 and Hyderabad at 2.0.

Tipster’s Angle

Tip: Kolkata to win @ 1.86

Kolkata have two wins in their last three while Hyderabad can’t buy a win at the moment. Kolkata also lead the head-to-head race 14-8. They did get beat when these two last met earlier in this tournament but back then Hyderabad were in a different zone and are a shell of their former self. We’d back Kolkata here to get their revenge. The odds for this play have been sourced from Paripesa.

Tip: Aiden Markram to score more than 23.5 runs @ 1.87

Aiden Markram has had a decent tournament so far but his highlight has been the knock that he played against Kolkata in these teams’ last match. He came in when his team was 39 for 2 in the 6th over while chasing 176. The South African batter smashed an unbeaten 68 off 36 to get his team home with more than two overs to spare. In the recent defeat to Bangalore, he scored a lethargic 21 off 27 but back facing an attack he has already performed well against once, we like our chances here. The odds have been sourced from Parimatch.

Conclusion

Kolkata’s defeat to Hyderabad earlier this season was mostly due to their two bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy and Pat Cummins, both of whom had conceded big runs but the former had also gone wicketless. Cummins has left, but Chakravarthy is still here and how he is used by Kolkata could be crucial in which way the match goes.

Zohaib Ahmed

17:01, 13 May 2022

Senior Author

Zohaib Ahmed

Senior Author

17:01, 13 May 2022

Zohaib Ahmed is a sports journalist whose profession is to report and edit but whose passion is to predict and bet. He’s been in the industry for more than a decade and has worked/written for various bookmakers/tipsters. His expertise is in cricket, football, MMA, boxing and basketball.