Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been an integral part of Sunrisers Hyderabad since joining the franchise in 2014 and the fast bowler is on the verge of a sensational record as his team takes on Kolkata Knight Riders in their first match of IPL 2024 on Saturday. Bhuvneshwar is just 4 wickets away from taking 150 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad and that will make him the first Indian bowler to achieve the feat for a single franchise in the league. Till now, only Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians) and Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders) have taken 150 wickets for a single team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer's comeback from a long injury layoff will be in focus as IPL's two biggest signings, Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, go head to head.
The Indian batter, after missing the entire season last year due to a back injury, returns to lead KKR, who have made some tactical additions while keeping the nucleus of the side intact.
Shreyas sparkled with the bat with a 95 in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy triumph recently but it remains to be seen whether he'll be available for all the matches, given his fitness concerns.
KKR's most successful leader Gautam Gambhir is back in his second innings as a mentor. His partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, a shrewd tactician in domestic circuit, will be the key to their revival.
"This is your franchise, make it or break it," team principal owner Shah Rukh Khan has told Gambhir. Under the former India cricketer's captaincy, KKR had a golden run from 2011-2017 -- two IPL titles, five playoffs and a runners-up finish in the now defunct Champions League T20 tournament.
The biggest signing of this IPL is with KKR, and by acquiring Starc at a record sum of Rs 24.75-crore, the left-arm quick will be under huge pressure to perform.
His spell in power-play and the death overs will be the key. Starc and Andre Russell are the only two experienced pacers in KKR's ranks, and with no like-for-like replacements for them, their workload management will be crucial.
(With PTI inputs)