What

IPL 2014 champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be challenged by the Hobart Hurricanes in the first semi-final of the Oppo CLT20 2014. Despite not playing their best cricket, the Gautam Gambhir-led side found new performers in each of their first three matches to take them past the finish line, in the process becoming the first team to secure a semi-final berth. The Gautam Gambhir-led are on a roll, having won their last 13 matches, and will be keen to add two more games to that steak.

The Hobart Hurricanes started their campaign with a defeat to Kings XI Punjab. The team has bounced back since winning each of their remaining three Group Stage matches convincingly. Runner-up in the Big Bash League 03, the team from Down Under will be keen to go the distance in this tournament.

When

Thursday, October 2, 2014, 4 p.m IST

Where

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

The Protagonists

The one constant performer for KKR – not only in the three matches he has played this season, but stretching back to the beginning of their successful turnaround in the IPL 2014 – has been Robin Uthappa. Numbers best illustrate the KKR opener’s domination; despite missing one match in the team’s 13-match unbeaten run, Robin is by miles the team’s top run-getter in that period. He has an aggregate of 605 runs from 12 innings, scored at a rate of 148.67. Among others, skipper Gautam Gambhir and Manish Pandey (who is KKR’s second-highest run-getter in their 13-match undefeated run) have this reputation of turning up to the party when the stakes are high.

On the bowling front, the Kolkata Knight Riders have relied a lot on their spinners, with the mystery bowler from the Caribbean – Sunil Narine – leading the pack. The Hobart Hurricanes believe the bowling department is their strength. In Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger and Xavier Doherty, the team has three international bowlers who have been in the wickets consistently. Hilfenhaus and Bollinger have been very testing with the new ball and the pressure will be on them to strike early yet again, for their opponents KKR depend a lot their openers. Among the batsmen, Ben Dunk and Aiden Blizzard are capable of causing plenty of damage, while the skipper Tim Paine and the experienced Shoaib Malik will be expected to play the dual role of anchor and enforcer.

Previous Meetings

There is no history of previous clashes between these two teams.

Trivia

The Hobart Hurricanes bowlers have been very penetrative in the first six overs; in the four matches they have played in the competition, they have picked up a total of 11 wickets in the first six overs. The team’s average economy rate in the first six overs is 6.21. The Kolkata Knight Riders spinners have picked up a total of 23 wickets in the Oppo CLT20 2014, while their quicks have picked up only two wickets in their four matches.

What Next

The result of this match will determine the future of both these teams. The winner will fly out to M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the title clash on October 4, while the loser of this contest will return home along with a cheque for USD 500,000.

Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Rod Tucker, Vineet Kulkarni, A Nanda Kishore
Referee: Javagal Srinath

Courtesy: CLT20