Streak of 4! Hyderabad aim to break it, Kolkata look to continue it in clash

Hyderabad players during a training session on the eve of the Qualifier-2 v Kolkata at Eden Gardens yesterday. Pic/PTI

With no more tomorrows to set things right, Hyderabad must quickly shrug off some yesterdays. Coming into their first knockout match of T20 2018, the table-toppers will have to ensure that the baggage of four consecutive defeats doesn't weigh them down. Belief will be the pre-requisite when they take on Kolkata in their den tonight.

Kolkata, who pulled off a come-from-behind win over Rajasthan here on Wednesday to step up to Qualifier 2, now have four wins in-a-row.

Early victories, several of them while defending low totals, had ensured that Hyderabad became the first team to book a playoff berth but they have withered away lately. While the bowling continues to be impressive, the batting unit's dependence on a few is hurting them when it matters most. In Qualifier 1, Kane Williamson & Co. managed just 139 and, despite a characteristic fightback by the bowlers, it added to their string of defeats.

Restless Hyderabad
In the heat and humidity of an Indian summer, two days of extra rest can mean a lot to teams towards the end of a grueling league. Hyderabad come to the Eden Gardens rested but restless. In addition to belief born out of recent successes, Kolkata will enjoy the famous support from the Eden terraces. More importantly, they will get to play in familiar conditions. Wednesday's game showed how much slower the Eden Gardens wicket was in comparison to the one at the Wankhede and spinners had a big say.

Kuldeep Yadav has had telling back-to-back performances here and, though Sunil Narine had a disappointing day against Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata's spin trio quite like the surface. What makes Kolkata's bowling even stronger than when Hyderabad beat them last month are the contributions of pacers Andre Russell and young Prasidh Krishna.

Banking on bowlers
While the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul have often set the tone with their subtle swings, Hyderabad have a couple of classy spinners, who can exploit the conditions. Having been with Kolkata for several seasons, Shakib Al Hasan knows the ground only too well while Rashid Khan has been on fire this T20 2018. With both teams boasting strong bowling units, it's the batsmen who could well make the difference.

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