Kolkata keen to halt Hyderabad's winning streak today

Dinesh Karthik

It's not a good time to run into Hyderabad, more so if you are a team still seeking clarity amidst the clutter. Will Vinay Kumar be finally relieved of the responsibility of bowling those crucial overs? The question looms large as Kolkata brace up for today's battle against the league leaders, who come here riding back-to-back victories.

The Karnataka medium-pacer has opened the bowling in Kolkata's two matches, conceding 14 and 16 runs, but has been brought back for the final over on both occasions to disastrous consequences. Vinay, 34, has conceded 64 runs in 23 deliveries, including 18 in final over that had Kolkata failing to defend 203 against Chennai on Tuesday. Indications are that one of the youngsters from the U-19 World Cup-winning squad may replace him.

In contrast, Hyderabad' attack has a settled look, and even the absence of the wily Bhuvneshwar Kumar was taken in stride against Mumbai on Thursday. Kolkata may boast of three quality spinners in Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav, but Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan are proving to be a winning combo for Hyderabad. "They're one of the better bowling teams in the tournament," conceded Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik, but was quick to point at Kolkata's balance.

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