KKR could make some changes in their playing XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad. </p><div>
<p>Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have had a difficult beginning to Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, winning just one out of three matches. They lost to Mumbai Indians by eight wickets in their last game, where their batting failing miserably. Other than the match against Rajasthan Royals, their bowling has also not been up to the mark.
Given these issues in the side, KKR could make some changes in their playing XI. The following are the likely changes for their game against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025.
Moeen Ali for Spencer Johnson
One change we could see in the playing XI is Moeen Ali replacing Spencer Johnson. Johnson has been below par in the first three matches of the season, taking only one wicket and conceding runs at an economy of 10.44. KKR had hoped he would deliver like Mitchell Starc did for them last season, but that hasn’t happened so far, so a change might be needed.
Moeen Ali, who played against Rajasthan Royals when Sunil Narine was ill, performed well by taking two wickets and giving away only 23 runs. Although he failed with the bat that day, he is still a valuable batting option. So, bringing in Moeen for Spencer could be a change that works in KKR’s favor.
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Angkrish Raghuvanshi as impact sub with Venkatesh Iyer at 4
In the three matches KKR has played so far, apart from the first game, Angkrish Raghuvanshi has batted at No. 4 and has done a decent job. However, this has affected KKR’s batting order, as Venkatesh Iyer has been pushed down to No. 5. In the last match against Mumbai Indians, he struggled and managed to score only six runs.
Since Iyer has performed well as a top-order batter for KKR, No. 5 is not the ideal position for him. With Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, and Ajinkya Rahane fixed in the top three, the only way for Iyer to move up is by batting at No. 4. In that case, Raghuvanshi can be used as an Impact Player when needed, as KKR already has a deep batting lineup.
Vaibhav Arora and Anukul Roy: Strengthening KKR’s Bowling
KKR can consider adding an extra bowling option, either in the playing XI or as an Impact Player. One possible approach is to include both Anukul Roy and Vaibhav Arora, with one starting in the XI and the other coming in as an Impact substitute. In their match against Mumbai Indians, KKR used Manish Pandey as an Impact Player because their batting collapsed. This decision prevented them from utilizing Vaibhav Arora, leaving them with only five bowlers in the lineup, which limited their bowling options.
A potential change for KKR could be playing both Vaibhav Arora and Anukul Roy in the bowling setup. Anukul Roy is also a capable batter, so instead of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, they could use him as a batting option while also benefiting from his spin bowling. Another strategy could be including Anukul Roy in the batting XI and bringing in Vaibhav Arora as an Impact Player for bowling, ensuring a better balance in the team.
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