HYDERABAD VS. KOLKATA: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 3 | CONTESTS THAT CAN DECIDE THE OUTCOME OF THE MATCH
Two former winners. Hyderabad and Kolkata, face off against each other in the third match of the Indian T20 League 2021. Last season, Kolkata put up a superior performance both the times the two teams faced one another, winning one match by 7 wickets and another match in the Super Over.
This match will take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. As seen in the opening match, the boundaries here are big and timing the ball will not be easy on the surface.
So let’s look at the 3 player battles that can decide the outcome of the match in favor of one team or the other.
1. Jonny Bairstow vs Pat Cummins
Bairstow has been solid at the top of the order for Hyderabad and is in spectacular form after the ODI series against India. He scored 345 runs in 11 matches last season at a strike rate of 126.83. His biggest challenge in the first match will be Kolkata's lead pacer, Pat Cummins. Bairstow has managed to score 8 runs off 15 balls from Cummins, and has been dismissed by him once. In recent times, Cummins got the better of Bairstow, once during an ODI between Australia and England in 2020 and another time during a game in the last edition.
2. David Warner vs Varun Chakravarthy
Warner has an excellent record against Kolkata, scoring 912 runs from 23 matches at an average of 45.6 and a strike rate of 146.15. He has also hit 4 centuries and 2 half centuries against them. On the other hand, Kolkata’s Varun Chakravarthy is expected to contain Hyderabad’s skipper. The mystery spinner had a breakout performance last season, taking 17 wickets, and will be high on confidence. As of now, Warner has scored 9 runs off the 8 balls by Chakravarthy, and got dismissed by him once, courtesy of a stunning caught and bowled effort. Seeing the back of Warner early will be key for Kolkata in this match.
3. Andre Russell vs T Natarajan
Russell had a brilliant 2019 season, scoring 510 runs at a strike rate of 204.81. He will be keen to find his range after a disappointing performance last season where he managed only 117 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 144.44. T Natarajan will be the man to counter Russell’s power-hitting in this game. He does give batsmen any room to open their arms and bowls small-length deliveries with consistency. His impressive skills were seen in the last season when he cleaned up de Villiers with a yorker in the Eliminator. The result of this battle can pretty much decide the outcome of the game.
Howzat is hosting all the matches from the Indian T20 League. You can get access to match predictions and the latest news on the Howzat blog. Download the app now, make your fantasy league team & start winning every day!
