Top 5 players to watch out for in the KKR vs SRH IPL 2025 match

A team could possibly not avenge a defeat in the IPL final in a league-stage fixture. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad would still want to gain a sense of comeback against Kolkata Knight Riders when they meet next. The IPL 2024 finalists are set to face each other in the KKR vs SRH IPL 2025 match at Eden Gardens on Thursday, March 3. Interestingly, neither of the previous season’s finalists have managed to assert dominance in the ongoing edition so far. SRH started with their trademark hard-hitting gameplay. However, barring the win in the campaign opener against Rajasthan Royals, neither of the other two opponents allowed SRH to unleash their explosive attack. The defending champions, meanwhile, sit even lower in the equation, placed at the bottom of the points table after three matches.

Key players to watch out for in the KKR vs SRH IPL 2025 match

Sunrisers Hyderabad retained their core from IPL 2024 and didn’t tweak their plans for the season, going all out in their batting attack just like in the previous edition. Their first match, SRH vs RR, meanwhile, projected that their gameplay would again be annihilating for the opponents. However, three matches into the season, SRH have struggled to pile on the runs they wanted. LSG and DC marked seamless victories over the runners-up. KKR, meanwhile, have endured two heavy defeats that have placed them at the bottom of the table, despite their victory against Rajasthan Royals in the second fixture.

Travis Head

Travis Head started his onslaught right from the word go, smashing 67 off 31 in the SRH vs RR IPL 2025 match. With Ishan Kishan marking his debut for SRH with a century, SRH rushed to a massive 286-run total in their campaign opener. However, the team has struggled since their opening victory. Abhishek Sharma is yet to come up with a defining knock in the season, while Ishan Kishan has remained quiet after his century. However, Travis Head at the top has maintained a sense of consistency. In three matches, the opener has scored 136 runs at an average of 45.33. Coming in at the top at Eden Gardens, which tends to favor the batters, Travis Head is a sure contender on the list of players to watch out for in the KKR vs SRH IPL 2025 match.

Ajinkya Rahane

The KKR captain kicked off his captaincy tenure with an intentful half-century in the KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 season opener. While the defending champions lost the match, Rahane's knock of 56 off 31 was the leading factor behind KKR reaching a fighting total of 174 at their home turf. With the KKR vs SRH game bringing them back to Eden Gardens, the KKR skipper is anticipated to go big again. While he has managed scores of 18 and 11 in the RR vs KKR and MI vs KKR fixtures, respectively, a return home is poised to bring a much-needed turnaround in both the skipper's form and the overall performance of the defending champions.

Sunil Narine

The double-edged sword for Kolkata Knight Riders, Narine is poised to come in handy in one of the innings at the home ground, if not both. In the season opener at Eden Gardens, the all-rounder played an instrumental role as he complemented the red-hot form of his skipper, Ajinkya Rahane. The batter knocked 44 runs off just 26 balls, smashing three sixes against the RCB bowlers. With the ball, the spinner scalped one wicket while RCB chased down the target with seven wickets remaining. The all-rounder sat out of the RR vs KKR fixture due to illness. Upon his return, MI dismantled the defending champions as they hosted Kolkata at Wankhede. Narine, meanwhile, fell for a two-ball duck as Trent Boult cleaned him up. Now, as Narine returns home, the spin all-rounder would be eager to track a quick comeback in the KKR vs SRH game.

Varun Chakravarthy

The bowling department of the defending champions is yet to make substantial waves this season. With options like Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy, the lineup couldn't trouble RCB. Virat Kohli headlined the chase with a half-century as RCB chased the 175-run target in the 17th over. Chakravarthy, one of the key prospects for India's Champions Trophy campaign, is yet to come through with a defining spell in IPL 2025. Across the three matches, Chakravarthy has managed to scalp three wickets. However, the middle-over trap in Kolkata could prove useful for the spinner against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming clash.

Pat Cummins

At a time when most of his teammates are struggling to find their form, Pat Cummins has actively held the group together with his spells. The SRH skipper, moreover, smashed a flurry of boundaries against LSG in the death overs to take his team to a fighting total. Fully capable of denting the opposition with a hard-hitting cameo with the bat, Cummins could come in handy in the death overs against KKR. Moreover, the Kolkata pitch, likely to present the seamers with early swing, could aid the SRH captain in claiming vital wickets.