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IPL 2026: SRH Captain Pat Cummins Wins Toss, Opts to Bat First vs KKR

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and chose to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL 2026 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Captain Pat Cummins explained the decision citing a good pitch for high scoring despite the heat. SRH currently sit third in the standings with six wins from nine matches, while KKR have managed only two wins in eight games. The playing XIs feature key players like Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Cameron Green.

Key Points: IPL 2026: SRH Win Toss, Opt to Bat First vs KKR

  • SRH win toss and choose to bat first in Hyderabad
  • Pat Cummins cites good pitch for high-scoring game
  • SRH third in standings with 6 wins from 9 matches
  • KKR struggle with only 2 wins in 8 matches
2 min read

IPL 2026: SRH win toss, choose to bat first against KKR

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026. Pat Cummins explains the decision to post a high total.

"We'll bat first. Pitch looks good and it's very hot, we'll bat and post a total. - Pat Cummins"

Hyderabad, May 3

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League 2026 match on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.

After winning the toss, SRH captain Pat Cummins said the team chose to bat first as the pitch looked good for a high-scoring game despite the heat. He credited the team's success to both young players and experienced ones finding form, with consistent high totals and everyone committing to an aggressive and positive style of play.

"We'll bat first. Pitch looks good and it's very hot, we'll bat and post a total. I'm not good at reading the pitches, it looks nice and must be high scoring. I think the thing is the young guys have come in and been fantastic. A lot of the stalwarts, as well, have really hit their stride. I think we've got over 220 all but one game. So it just feels like everyone's, you know, found their rhythm, built themselves in the tournament, playing that style that we want, which is really positive and everyone's bought into that," Cummins said at the toss presentations.

SRH have been impressively consistent this season, securing six wins from nine matches so far. With 12 points on the board, they currently sit third in the IPL 2026 standings. A victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders would further strengthen their already strong chances of making the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders had a poor start to their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign despite having bounced back with a couple of recent wins. Led by Ajinkya Rahane, the side has only managed two wins in eight matches so far, with one no-result.

SRH vs KKR playing 11s:

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel, Eshan Malinga

SRH Impact Sub options: Praful Hinge, Harsh Dubey, Liam Livingstone, Sakib Hussain, Zeeshan Ansari

Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy.

KKR Impact Sub options: Finn Allen, Ramandeep Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya, Navdeep Saini, Tim Seifert.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Another toss win, another batting first decision by SRH. But honestly, in this heat, chasing becomes very difficult in the second innings. Smart captaincy by Cummins. KKR's batting lineup looks too dependent on Narine and Green. Only 2 wins in 8 matches is disappointing for such a historic franchise.
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Michael C
As an Aussie fan, it's great to see Pat Cummins leading from the front in IPL too. But I'm also happy for Ajinkya Rahane leading KKR - he's been a solid domestic performer. The playing XI for KKR looks strong on paper, but they haven't clicked as a unit. Varun Chakaravarthy needs to step up today.
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Rohit P
SRH's batting depth is incredible - from Abhishek Sharma and Head at the top to Klaasen and Arora in the middle. Even their impact subs are quality. Meanwhile, KKR's top order looks fragile. Manish Pandey and Rinku Singh can't do it all alone. Just look at that bowling attack: Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy - that's world-class. If they bowl well, they can defend anything. KKR should trust their spinners more.
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Sarah B
I've been following IPL since season 1 and SRH's transformation under Cummins has been remarkable. But let's not forget - it's a long tournament. KKR might be down but they have match-winners like Narine and Green. One good partnership can change the game. Also, great to see young talents like Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Aniket Verma getting chances. 🇮🇳
V
Vikram M
Honestly,

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