Predicted Playing XI of KKR for Game 19 of IPL 2023

KKR players celebrating after their win against GT (AP Photo)

It is time for game 19 of IPL 2023 and the IPL caravan will be heading to Eden Gardens for the second time this season. The home team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and we can expect the atmosphere at the iconic Eden Gardens to be absolutely electric especially after Rinku Singh's unbelievable heist in the last game.

KKR have won two out of their three games so far while their opponents, SRH are coming into this game on a back of their first win after losing their opening two games. Let us now see the predicted playing XI of KKR against SRH for the game 19 of the season.

Openers

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and N Jagadeesan

KKR are expected to stick to the same opening combination they went with in the last game against GT. Gurbaz has been batting well for KKR and has scored one fifty as well and it is his firepower at the top of the order that will play a crucial role for KKR. N Jagadeesan, on the other hand, did not make much impact in the last game but he has been in good form for TN in domestic cricket and can be a match-winner if he gets going.

Middle-Order

Venkatesh Iyer

The left-handed batter can play in the starting XI directly if KKR bats first while if they bat second, he can be used as an impact player in place of Suyash Sharma in the second innings. He played a fantastic knock of 83 off 40 balls at number 3 in the last game and it would be a big confidence-booster for him after failing to deliver his best in the opening two games.

Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana  during his knock against GT (AP Photo)

The KKR skipper also got into some form in the last game with a sparkling knock of 45 off 29 balls. His leadership skills have been pretty impressive so far and he would be itching to get a big score under his belt.

Rinku Singh

The star of a dramatic win against GT, Rinku Singh showed tremendous ability to deliver under pressure by smashing 5 sixes in a row to steal an unbelievable win for KKR. He also scored an important 46 against RCB too when the team was under the pump and let's see how Rinku Singh goes about his business against a quality bowling attack of SRH.

All-Rounders

Andre Russell

Andre Russell and N Jagadeesan in the field against GT (AP Photo)

Russell is one of the most celebrated all-rounders in T20 cricket. He is a destructive batter and can be a game-changer with the ball as well. He has failed to make an impact so far this season and would be as determined as ever to stamp his authority against SRH.

Shardul Thakur

'Lord Thakur' as he is fondly called - Shardul Thakur is another match-winner in KKR ranks. He played an absolute blinder against RCB when his team was under pump and smashed 68 off 29 balls. He also has the knack of providing breakthroughs with the ball when the team desperately needs it and is an x-factor for KKR.

Bowlers

Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine is another legend in KKR line-up. He has picked 6 wickets in three games and often gets big-ticket players in the opposition line-up. He can be a lethal weapon against SRH's middle order and if needed can use the long handle effectively as well.

Lockie Ferguson

The speedster has the ability to rattle the opponents with his extreme pace. He also has great slower ball and can nail yorkers as well which makes him a perfect T20 bowler. He can be expensive though and need to get his act together in his game.

Umesh Yadav

The experienced right-arm pacer has been a key weapon in Powerplay for KKR. He has the experience to bowl under pressure and a lot will depend on how he bowls with the new ball against SRH.

Varun Chakaravarthy

The mystery spinner is looking in great form this season. He seem to have got his byte back and has picked 5 wickets in three games. SRH depend a lot on their foreign batters and if Varun can get his lines and lengths right, he can create plenty of problems for them.

Impact Players

Suyash Sharma

Anukul Roy

Vaibhav Arora

David Wiese

Mandeep Singh