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IPL 2020 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders preview: Eoin Morgan eyes first win as captain in clash against SRH

It is another day of doubleheaders at the Indian Premier League today! In the first match, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will square off against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

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IPL 2020

It is another day of doubleheaders at the Indian Premier League today! In the first match, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will square off against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, while Dubai International Cricket Stadium will witness a clash between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians.

Both KKR and SRH have had a dismal show in the tournament so far. Although Kolkata have a new captain in Eoin Morgan, it failed to change their fortunes in the last outing. Hyderabad are not in a great position either and have managed to win only three out of the eight matches. Warner’s men will have lost the last two matches and will be itching to get back to winning ways today.

Hyderabad have a strong batting line-up with Kane Williamson being in great form. However, their bowling woes and over reliance on Rashid Khan is costing them matches. Kolkata, on the other hand, look like a strong team on paper but have failed to deliver. Although, we have seen flashes of brilliance from their batting unit, they have failed to click as a team. It would be interesting to see if they get their bowling and batting combination right under the new captain and finally click against Hyderabad in today’s clash.

Take a look at the squads:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (captain), Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrior, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Chris Green, M Siddharth, Sunil Narine, Nikhil Naik, Tom Banton, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, Ali Khan, Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Read Also: MI vs KXIP: IPL 2020 Points-table topper face bottom side Kings XI Punjab

Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (captain), Jason Holder, Abhishek Sharma, B Sandeep, Sanjay Yadav, Fabian Allen, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Siddharth Kaul, Billy Stanlake, T Natarajan, Basil Thampi, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Shreevats Goswami, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Wriddhiman Saha, Abdul Samad, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan

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IPL 2026 auction: Uncapped Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma become costliest Indian buys

IPL 2026 auction witnessed history as uncapped Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma fetched Rs 14.2 crore each, the highest ever for uncapped Indian players.

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Two uncapped Indian cricketers rewrote IPL auction history on Tuesday as Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma attracted record-breaking bids at the IPL 2026 auction held in Abu Dhabi. Chennai Super Kings secured both players for Rs 14.2 crore each, making them the most expensive uncapped Indians ever signed in the league.

The previous benchmark for an uncapped Indian player stood at Rs 10 crore, a record set in 2022. That mark was comfortably surpassed as franchises went all out for young domestic talent during the auction.

Record-breaking bids for young domestic talent

Prashant Veer, a 20-year-old left-arm spin allrounder from Uttar Pradesh, entered the auction with a base price of Rs 30 lakh. His bidding quickly escalated following interest from multiple franchises before Chennai Super Kings closed the deal at Rs 14.2 crore. Veer has featured in nine domestic T20 matches and came into focus after strong performances in the UP T20 League, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Under-23 competitions, which also earned him trials with the franchise.

Kartik Sharma, a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan, matched Veer’s price later in the auction. Also listed at a base price of Rs 30 lakh, Kartik witnessed intense bidding before Chennai Super Kings once again emerged successful. Known for his power-hitting ability in the lower order, Kartik has scored 334 runs in 12 T20 matches at a strike rate of 164, including 28 sixes.

Other uncapped players draw big interest

The strong demand for uncapped Indians was not limited to Veer and Kartik. Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi was signed by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.4 crore after competition from several teams. Nabi, 29, has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and has taken 15 wickets in seven matches in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an economy rate below eight.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru picked up 23-year-old pace allrounder Mangesh Yadav for Rs 5.2 crore. Yadav has limited T20 experience but impressed scouts during the Madhya Pradesh Premier League.

Several other uncapped players also crossed or touched the Rs 1 crore mark, underlining the growing focus on domestic depth at the IPL auctions.

Focus on building a strong local core

Speaking after the auction, the Chennai Super Kings camp highlighted the emphasis on identifying skill-specific players and investing in long-term potential. The franchise pointed to extensive scouting across domestic tournaments and the need to adapt team strategies based on the evolving nature of the game.

The IPL 2026 auction marked a significant moment for uncapped Indian players, with franchises showing willingness to invest heavily in emerging talent alongside established names.

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T20 2026 World Cup tickets go on sale with prices starting at Rs 100

Tickets for the 2026 T20 World Cup go on sale from December 11, with phase one prices starting at Rs100 in India.

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Ticket sales for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been announced, with the first phase opening on December 11. The tournament will be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka, beginning February 7, and will feature 20 teams competing across 55 matches.

Affordable pricing in first phase

According to media, tickets in phase one will be available at highly accessible rates. Prices start from Rs100 at select venues in India, while tickets in Sri Lanka will be priced from LKR 1000. The ticket window opens at 6.45 pm IST and Sri Lanka time. Details for the second phase of ticket sales are expected to be announced at a later date.

Officials said the pricing strategy is aimed at ensuring wider access to the tournament for fans across different regions and income groups.

Tournament schedule and format

The 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup will follow the same format as the previous tournament. The 20 teams have been divided into four first-round groups, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage.

Matches will be played in three time slots — morning, afternoon and evening — across venues in both host nations.

First-round groups

  • Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
  • Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
  • Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
  • Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

Super Eight and knockout stage

The Super Eight stage will consist of two groups of four teams each, based on first-round qualification. Each team will face the other three sides in its group, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals.

The semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 and March 5, while the final will be played on March 8. Venue arrangements for the knockout matches include Indian cities and Colombo, depending on team qualification scenarios.

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India’s batting reshuffle under Gautam Gambhir draws sharp criticism after 2nd T20I loss

Former players Robin Uthappa and Dale Steyn criticised Gautam Gambhir’s batting shuffle after India’s 51-run defeat in the second T20I against South Africa.

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Gautam Gambhir

India’s heavy 51-run defeat against South Africa in the second T20I at Mullanpur has sparked intense scrutiny of head coach Gautam Gambhir’s tactical calls, particularly the decision to reshuffle the batting order. Former cricketers Robin Uthappa and Dale Steyn openly questioned the move, calling it a significant error that unsettled the Indian batting line-up

Experts question changes in India’s batting order

India’s chase of a daunting target never gained momentum after early wickets. Captain Suryakumar Yadav did not come in at his usual position, instead walking in after Axar Patel, and managed only five runs. The experiment raised eyebrows among experts, who felt India lost stability at a crucial phase of the innings.

Speaking during the post-match analysis, Robin Uthappa recalled Gambhir’s earlier comments about flexibility in the batting order but said the approach did not suit a high-pressure chase. He argued that when pursuing a big total, the team’s most dependable batters should take responsibility early rather than being pushed down the order.

Uthappa also pointed out that if Axar Patel was used as a pinch-hitter, the role demanded a far more aggressive approach. According to him, India needed calm and assurance after early setbacks, something the shuffled order failed to provide.

Dale Steyn calls decision a ‘major mistake’

Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn echoed similar concerns, terming the move a “major mistake”. He stressed that Suryakumar Yadav is among India’s best batters and should not be treated as part of a trial-and-error strategy in a competitive T20I.

Steyn questioned the logic behind the left-right combination, noting that a right-handed batter had been dismissed, yet India ended up with two left-handers at the crease. He suggested that experimentation might be understandable in less critical situations, but not in a match where India had a chance to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Call for clarity in top-order roles

Concluding his analysis, Uthappa urged Gambhir to settle on a fixed top three in the batting order. He emphasised that clarity of roles is essential in T20 cricket, especially during the powerplay overs. While flexibility can work later in the innings, constant changes at the top could harm the team’s rhythm.

Uthappa warned that prolonged experimentation might backfire at crucial moments in major tournaments, stressing that India cannot afford such uncertainty heading into high-stakes events.

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