The success of IPL teams often hinges on the performance of their opening batters. Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal have performed exceptionally well for Rajasthan Royals, while Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma are contributing well for Sunrisers Hyderabad with their attacking approach.
However, the most dependable opening pair has been Phil Salt and Sunil Narine for Kolkata Knight Riders. Although Narine is not a typical opener he has a superb capability to utilize the powerplay overs with his strong hitting skills.
Bowlers can effectively stop Narine by targeting his legs or bowling yorkers. Even deliveries wide of the off-stump have restricted his ability to play freely. However, despite these obstacles, Narine has managed to score fifties. He is currently among the top ten run-scorers in the 17th season of the IPL.
Head and Abhishek have been excellent players for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but they haven’t consistently built match-winning partnerships. Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has given huge praise for the KKR openers.
While talking to Star Sports, Navjot Singh Sidhu said, “Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have been unstoppable for Hyderabad, but I feel no opening pair comes close to Phil Salt and Sunil Narine. The two have dominated bowlers in most of the games. Narine and Salt are dominating attacks in the IPL, and the damage they are causing can’t be explained easily. KKR is doing well in the competition because their openers are contributing. SRH have failed in the last two games because Head and Abhishek couldn’t fire.”
