IPL 2025: Kamindu Mendis Debuts as Hyderabad Opts to Bowl First Against Kolkata
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Synopsis
On April 3, 2025, Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL Match 15 at Eden Gardens. Kamindu Mendis made his IPL debut as Hyderabad made notable lineup changes, while Kolkata brought in Moeen Ali for Spencer Johnson.
Key Takeaways
- Sunrisers Hyderabad chose to bowl first after winning the toss.
- Kolkata Knight Riders made a change, bringing in Moeen Ali.
- Kamindu Mendis debuted for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Both teams expressed confidence in their game plans.
- Conditions at Eden Gardens were deemed favorable by both captains.
Kolkata, April 3 (NationPress) Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and chose to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 15 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Eden Gardens here on Thursday. The home team, Kolkata Knight Riders, made one alteration to their playing XI, bringing in Moeen Ali for Australian pacer Spencer Johnson. Meanwhile, the visitors, Sunrisers Hyderabad, also made several adjustments, with Kamindu Mendis making his IPL debut in place of Abhinav Manohar. Simarjeet Singh takes the place of Travis Head.
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins stated, "We are going to bowl first. It appears to be a solid wicket. I'm not the best at reading pitches. We'll try our best with the ball. We’ve reached the finals before. They performed exceptionally well last year.
"There are a few changes for both teams. We've discussed our game plan. We perform best when we are aggressive. Most of our wickets have fallen to reckless batting. We prefer not to overthink things and to keep progressing. (On Aniket Verma) He has been exceptional. His youthful energy is impressive. He seems unfazed while bowling. He has a good sense of the game dynamics, and we are clear about who we want as our impact substitutes," he said.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane remarked, "The pitch looks good. I'm satisfied with it. We were also considering bowling first on this surface. I hope it benefits our spinners. When playing at home, you should get what you desire. I’m pleased with the conditions. We need to evaluate the situation as quickly as possible.
"This format is all about playing freely. We don’t want to overthink. We aimed to be ready for the match. Everyone has evaluated their game and is prepared. Moeen Ali comes in for Spencer Johnson. Regardless of what is discussed in team meetings, ultimately, you must come here, assess the conditions, and perform 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
