SRH vs KKR IPL 2026: Sunrisers Hyderabad Opt To Bat, Teams Make Key Changes

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in match 45 of IPL 2026 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Sunrisers Hyderabad made two alterations to their playing XI.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was unavailable due to illness, while Smaran Ravichandran made his debut. Additionally, Harshal Patel replaced Harsh Dubey in the side.

Kolkata Knight Riders also made two changes, with Finn Allen and Manish Pandey coming in for Tim Seifert and Ramandeep Singh.

Following the toss, SRH captain Pat Cummins explained that the surface appeared suitable for batting, especially in the prevailing heat. He conveyed confidence in the team’s attacking style, pointing out their consistent success in posting large totals.

Cummins also praised the balance between emerging talents and experienced players in the squad.

On the other hand, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane said his team would have preferred to bat first as well. He mentioned that the recent break had given the side time to reassess their strengths and shortcomings, adding that success would depend on making the most of key moments.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (wk), Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel, Eshan Malinga.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy.

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