IPL 2025: Kamindu Mendis Debuts as SRH Opt to Field First Against KKR

Kolkata: Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and chose to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 15 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Eden Gardens on Thursday.

Team Changes for Both Sides

Kolkata Knight Riders made one change in their playing XI, bringing in Moeen Ali for Australian pacer Spencer Johnson. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad introduced multiple changes, with Kamindu Mendis making his IPL debut in place of Abhinav Manohar. Additionally, Simarjeet Singh replaced Travis Head.

Pat Cummins on SRH’s Strategy

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins stated,
“We are going to have a bowl first. It looks like a pretty good wicket. I’m terrible at reading wickets, but we’ll have a crack with the ball. We have played in the final before, and they performed really well last year.”

Speaking about team dynamics, Cummins added,
“We have spoken about our approach. We play our best cricket when we are aggressive. Most of the dismissals have come due to reckless batting, so we must not overthink. We need to keep moving forward.”

He also praised Aniket Verma, saying,
“He’s been amazing. That youthfulness – he’s fearless when bowling and is taking on the challenge well. We have a clear idea of our impact substitutes.”

Ajinkya Rahane’s Take on KKR’s Game Plan

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane expressed confidence in the pitch conditions, stating,
“The pitch looks good. Even we were looking to bowl first, as it may suit our spinners. Playing at home, you should get the conditions you want. I am happy with the surface.”

Rahane emphasized the importance of adaptability, saying,
“T20 cricket is all about playing with freedom. We don’t want to overthink. The team has assessed their game well and is ready. Moeen Ali replaces Spencer Johnson. While team meetings help, at the end of the day, you have to assess the conditions and play accordingly.”

Playing XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins (c), Simarjeet Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Zeeshan Ansari

Impact Subs: Travis Head, Abhinav Manohar, Wiaan Mulder, Rahul Chahar, Jaydev Unadkat

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Quinton de Kock (wk), Venkatesh Iyer (vc), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

Impact Subs: Luvnith Sujith Sisodia, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora