Playing XI
Venue Insights (Abu Dhabi)
Highest Team Total: 206/4 By Punjab Against Chennai In 2014.
Lowest Team Total: 70/10 By Bangalore Against Rajasthan In 2014.
Highest Individual Score: 95 By Glenn Maxwell (Punjab) Against Chennai In 2014.
Best Bowling Figures: 4/20 By Sunil Narine (Kolkata) Against Mumbai In 2014.
Highest Partnership: 131 By Jacques Kallis And Manish Pandey (Kolkata) For 2nd Wicket Against Mumbai In 2014.
Win Rate Batting First: 60% (6 Won; 4 Lost)
Top Fantasy Picks - All Rounders
In his last 3 matches against Hyderabad, Dre Russ has scored 64 runs and taken 3 wickets thus maintaining a good form against them in recent times.
Top Fantasy Picks - Bowlers
After picking just 2 wickets in his first 3 matches, Khaleel came back with performances of 2/45, 2/37 and 2/24 in his recent 3 matches. Thus he has got his form back.
Mavi has taken 6 wickets so far this season in as many matches. 4 out of his 6 wickets have come at Abu Dhabi.
With 10 wickets Rashid is the 2nd highest wicket taker among spinners this season. His performances in his last 3 matches against Kolkata are: 1/25, 1/23, 1/26 and 3/19.
Top Fantasy Picks - Batsmen & Keepers
Warner is the highest run getter for Hyderabad this season with 284 runs. Stat alert: A look at Warner’s last 5 innings against Kolkata (36, 67, 85, 37 and 126)
In his 3 matches against Kolkata, Bairstow has scored 124 runs at SR of 141. Also he has the added advantage of being a wicket-keeper which gives extra points.
With 275 runs, Shubman Gill is the leading run getter for Kolkata this season. Also, both of his fifties this season (70* and 57) have come at Abu Dhabi.
Probable XI
Kolkata : Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Eoin Morgan (C), Andre Russell, Chris Green, Shivam Mavi, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna and Varun Chakravarthy.
Hyderabad : David Warner (C), Jonny Bairstow (WK), Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rashid Khan, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma and Khaleel Ahmed.
Preview
Sunday, funday! Double-Header day again. In the first game, Hyderabad take on Kolkata. Both teams have had rather similar fortunes so far. Hyderabad come into this game after back-to-back morale-sapping losses, to Rajasthan and Chennai respectively. The situation is not much different in the Kolkata camp - 2 thumping losses on the trot, versus Bangalore and Mumbai. Change of captaincy has not had an immediate effect for Kolkata and neither for the batting fortunes of Karthik. For Hyderabad, the middle-order muddle continues. The struggles are very palpable when the top 3 do not click. So, near similar situations in both camps. Both would look to cash in on each other's lack of momentum. Interesting to see who will have their say in this.
Hyderabad at Abu Dhabi : Played 3, Won 1, Lost 2
Kolkata at Abu Dhabi : Played 8, Won 4, Lost 4
Toss : Hyderabad won the toss and elected to bowl first.