Matheesha Pathirana To Debut? KKR Strongest XI vs SRH For IPL 2026, Match 45

KKR Strongest XI vs SRH For IPL 2026 [Source: AP]

KKR are all set to clash with SRH in the 45th fixture of the IPL 2026 season. The match will be held on Sunday, May 3, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad at 3:30 PM IST.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are coming off an amazing victory over the Mumbai Indians, where they chased down 244 runs at Wankhede Stadium with 8 balls to spare.

On the other hand, KKR held their nerves to beat LSG in the Super Over. After failing to defend 155 runs, Sunil Narine bowled a perfect Super Over, conceding just 1 run while picking up 2 wickets.

Rinku Singh later hit a boundary to finish things off, and with that, KKR sealed their second victory of the IPL 2026 season.

Meanwhile, ahead of yet another crucial encounter, let’s see the best KKR Playing XI vs SRH.

KKR Playing XI vs SRH, IPL 2026, Match 45

Top Order - Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Seifert, Angkrish Raghuvanshi

As for the opening combination, captain Ajinkya Rahane is most likely to continue opening with Tim Seifert. They have been inconsistent to say the least. 

Rahane’s average, for instance, is below 25, which is not at all ideal for an opener who is also the captain of the team. However, due to a lack of better alternatives, KKR have no choice but to back this duo.

Also Read - Full List Of Batters Dismissed For Obstructing The Field In IPL History

At no. 3 in the KKR Playing XI vs SRH, KKR will back youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi. He has scored over 200 runs in 8 games so far with an average close to 30. 

While he was unlucky to get dismissed for obstructing the field in the last game, Angkrish must leave that disappointment behind and start anew against SRH.

Middle Order - Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh

At no. 4, KKR must back Cameron Green. He scored a half-century earlier, but again, consistency is an issue. Green has a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders, and against a team like SRH, they need him at his best.

Rovman Powell and Rinku Singh will come in as finishers. Rinku had his moment of redemption in the last game, where he scored 83* off 51 balls to guide KKR to a fighting total.

Also, Powell and Rinku’s batting order could be adjusted according to match situations. Given Rinku’s hot form, he can be promoted so that he gets more time to score big. 

Ramandeep Singh has failed to show any kind of impact so far in IPL 2026. However, he increases the batting depth, and KKR need extra bats to fight SRH.

Bowlers - Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy

In the bowling department, KKR are unlikely to make any changes as well. Matheesha Pathirana is apparently still unavailable, and there is no clear timeline for his return.

Hence, for now, KKR will have to settle with Vaibhav Arora and Kartik Tyagi as their frontline fast bowlers. Both pacers have picked up 9 wickets each this season so far.

As for spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy will lead the charge. Again, both have picked up 7 wickets each. But KKR expects a lot more from the senior duo. 

Overall, the Kolkata based franchise is unlikely to make any changes to KKR Playing XI vs SRH as this happens to be their best combination available.

KKR Playing XI vs SRH- Match 45, IPL 2026

Ajinkya Rahane (c)

Tim Seifert (wk)

Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Cameron Green

Rovman Powell

Rinku Singh

Ramandeep Singh

Sunil Narine

Vaibhav Arora

Kartik Tyagi

Varun Chakaravarthy

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