ABU DHABI, Oct 17: A new captain in the saddle, Kolkata Knight Riders would look to sort out their batting woes and strive for consistency when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad in an intriguing mid-table Indian Premier League clash here on Sunday. After a string of below par performances, Dinesh Karthik handed over the reins to his deputy Eoin Morgan hours before KKR�s match against Mumbai Indians on Friday. But the World Cup-winning England captain�s campaign as leader was off to a disappointing start with MI handing KKR an eight-wicket mauling.
KKR are still in the top four of IPL points table behind Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore with four wins and as many defeats. But if the two-time champions want to seal a play-off spot, their batsmen need to step up, shrug off their inconsistencies and win matches for the team. After a massive 82-run loss to RCB, the KKR batsmen failed yet again against MI bowlers as they were reduced to 42 for 4 in the eighth over. Half of KKR batsmen were gone for 61 in the 11th over. An 87-run unbroken stand for the sixth wicket between Morgan (39 not out) and pacer Pat Cummins (53 not out) took them to 148 for 5. But MI needed just 16.5 overs to overhaul the target, losing two wickets in the process.
At the top, Shubhman Gill has failed to capitalise on his starts, while Rahul Tripathi has not gone past the 20-run mark after his brilliant 81 against the Chennai Super Kings. � PTI
Match starts: 3.30 PM IST
