Sangakkara up against his IPL team

Match Facts

Big Picture

While this match represents a Champions League debut for Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad, both teams will know just how vital it is to hit the ground running in what could potentially be a short tournament for either side. Both teams need to win at least two of the three qualification matches to have a strong chance of making the main draw.

This will be the first time these sides face each another, so Kumar Sangakkara will play an influential role in providing some insight on the inner workings of Hyderabad. Thisara Perera can also shed some light on Kandurata, as a number of his compatriots make up the roster.

Both teams have strong bowling departments that include several international players. Kandurata possess some of the best T20 players in the world, and feature a spin attack which includes Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv, backed by the ever-dependable Nuwan Kulasekera. Hyderabad are slightly more potent, beginning with the raw pace of Dale Steyn, the guile of Amit Mishra, the bounce of Ishant Sharma, the wicket-taking knack of Perera, and the leg spin of Karan Sharma. The fresh early-season pitch in Mohali might also work in their favour.

Players to watch

Thilina Kandamby is one of the many former Sri Lankan players to make up the side, and played an instrumental role in Kandurata's successful Super 4's campaign. He finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 107 runs in two innings, at an impressive strike rate of 148.61. His best performance came in the final group match against Uthura Yellows, where he struck 90 off 54 to get Kandurata close to a 159-run target, but ultimately couldn't prevent a six-run defeat.

Amit Mishra had a solid outing in IPL 2013, finishing with 21 wickets in 17 matches. His best performance came against Pune Warriors, when he snapped up the last three batsmen for his third IPL hat-trick, as Hyderabad achieved an improbable 11-run victory after being dismissed for a paltry 119. He recently played in India's 5-0 ODI series victory over Zimbabwe, where he equalled the record for most wickets in a bilateral series, with 18 in 5 matches.

Stats and Trivia

• Shikhar Dhawan led the way for Hyderabad's batsmen at IPL 2013 with 311 runs, despite missing seven matches due to injury
• Of the top six batsmen who scored the most runs in the Super 4's T20 tournament in Sri Lanka, four of them represented Kandurata: Kandamby, Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne

Quotes

"I am cool and aggressive; aggressive from inside and cool from outside."
New Sunrisers captain Shikhar Dhawan reveals his recipe for success

"We've got experience with the likes of Sangakkara, (Nuwan) Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga and Ajantha Mendis, who are among the best in the world at the moment. Whether you look at our bowling or batting, we have a lot of ability and the side is well balanced."
Lahiru Thirimanne, the Kandurata Maroons captain