The stakes will be high on Sunday, May 3, when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) faces Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 45th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Sunrisers Hyderabad has demonstrated tremendous consistency in their victories this season, having won six out of their nine matches so far. They currently have twelve points and occupy the third spot on the leaderboard. A win against KKR could help them further strengthen their chances of securing a spot in the playoffs—prospects that are already quite high at this stage.
Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a dismal start in their 2026 IPL campaign, but they have managed to secure victories in their recent matches. Led by Ajinkya Rahane, the team shows no signs of giving up anytime soon and will be eager to inflict a crushing defeat upon the Sunrisers in the afternoon fixture—especially given the strong likelihood of Matheesha Pathirana's return.
SRH vs KKR Head to Head T20 Record
- Matches Played: 31
- Won by KKR: 19
- Won by SRH: 11
- Tied: 01
- No Result: 00
- First-ever Fixture: April 14, 2013
- Most-recent Fixture: April 02, 2026
SRH vs KKR Playing 11
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (WK), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (C), Harsh Dubey, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga
Impact Player: Sakib Hussain
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Ajinkya Rahane (C), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakravarthy
Impact Player: Matheesha Pathirana
SRH vs KKR Player Stats
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Abhishek Sharma: Currently one of the strongest contenders for the Orange Cap; he regained the lead towards the end of April. In the previous match against KKR, he scored 48 runs off 21 balls.
- Heinrich Klaasen: Has consistently been among the top run-scorers this season. In the previous match against KKR, he scored 52 runs off 35 balls.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy: He was named 'Player of the Match' for his all-round performance in the match held on April 2nd; he scored 39 runs and took 2 wickets.
- Jaydev Unadkat: In the previous match, Jaydev Unadkat delivered a magnificent performance, taking 3 wickets for 21 runs.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi: Scored the most runs for KKR in the previous match against SRH—52 runs off 29 balls.
- Rinku Singh: Scored 35 runs off 25 balls in the last encounter against SRH and recently led KKR to victory in a Super Over against the Lucknow Super Giants.
- Blessing Muzarabani: Was KKR's standout bowler in the previous match against SRH, taking 4 wickets.
- Sunil Narine: Continues to be a key player for KKR with both bat and ball, even though KKR currently sits at the lower end of the points table (in 8th place as of late April).
SRH vs KKR Pitch Report
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad has already witnessed some high-scoring encounters this season. Sunday's clash between SRH and KKR is also expected to be another fierce battle of runs. Although spinners can perform well at this venue, the assistance they receive tends to diminish in the second half of the match. Consequently, chasing a target becomes a relatively easier task on the Uppal pitch—and the captain who wins the toss on Sunday should focus on precisely this factor.
SRH vs KKR: Probable Best Performers
Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma has been in his most formidable form during the 2026 season of this major tournament. This left-handed opener currently holds the second spot on the 'Orange Cap' leaderboard; he has amassed a total of 425 runs across nine matches at an average of 53.13. He has also notched up one century and three half-centuries—a testament to his remarkable consistency and the steady flow of runs from his bat. His role will be pivotal to SRH's hopes of victory in the upcoming match as well.
Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine has demonstrated in this IPL season what true experience is all about. Utilizing his immense skill set, the Caribbean cricketer has already delivered some spectacular bowling spells. His most memorable performance of the season came when he conceded just a single run while bowling the Super Over against the Lucknow Super Giants—an effort that enabled KKR to clinch that thrilling match. Against the Hyderabad team, Narine could prove to be KKR's standout bowler.
CRICKET POINTS TABLE - Indian Premier League (IPL 2026)
| No | Team | M | W | L | T | NR | NRR | Pts | Recent Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjab Kings | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1.043 | 13 | LWWWW |
| 2 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +1.420 | 12 | LWWLW |
| 3 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +0.832 | 12 | WWWWW |
| 4 | Rajasthan Royals | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +0.510 | 12 | LWLWL |
| 5 | Gujarat Titans | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -0.192 | 10 | WWLLW |
| 6 | Chennai Super Kings | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.005 | 8 | WLWLW |
| 7 | Delhi Capitals | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.895 | 8 | WLLLW |
| 8 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -0.751 | 5 | WWLLL |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -0.803 | 4 | LLLWL |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -1.106 | 4 | LLLLL |
| M: Matches, W: Won, L: Lost, T: Tie, NR: No Result, NRR: Net Run Rate, Pts: Points, Q: Qualified, E: Eliminate Recent Forms: W = Won, L = Lost, T = Tie, D = Draw, NR = No Result Last updated on 03-May-2026, 09:04 AM | |||||||||
