Sunrisers Hyderabad host defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the final game of the group stage of the Indian Premier League.

Although the Knight Riders have already been eliminated from the tournament, Hyderabad have everything to play for - a win means they will leapfrog Royal Challengers Bangalore and qualify for the knock-out stage at their neighbours' expense.

The reverse fixture finished in a comfortable 48-run win for Kolkata, with an excellent all-round performance from both the batting and bowling departments.

Kolkata Knight Riders
Vipin Pawar-IPL-SPORTZPICS

Where to Watch Live

Play starts at 3.30pm BST. Live coverage is on ITV 4 and ITV 4 HD, with online coverage at ESPN Cricinfo.

Overview

Hyderabad have a simple goal - to win this game. They could have qualified without needing a result in ther final game, had Chennai Super Kings beaten Bangalore in a rain-affected match on Saturday evening. However Virat Kohli produced a whirlwind 56 off 29 balls to ensure MS Dhoni's team faced a daunting 107-run target from the allotted eight overs. The Super Kings tried but fell 24 runs short.

So Sunrisers must now beat the defending champions to qualify. This isn't as daunting as it sounds, for Gautam Gambhir and his men were eliminated from the tournament after losing, at home, to Pune Warriors. Still, they will want to finish the season on a high and they will want a win for their fans. It won't be easy for Hyderabad.

Their achievement is all the more noteworthy because this is the Sunrisers' debut season in the IPL. Led by a superb bowling attack and in-form Indian batsman Shikhar Dawan, Hyderabad will be strong favourites for this match.

The side beat 2008 champions Rajasthan Royals (who had already qualified) in their last game, with the bowlers, once again, key. Defending a relatively small total of 136, Dale Steyn, Karan Sharma, Amit Mishra and Thisara Perera picked up two wickets each, for a combined 83 runs from 15 overs, to reduce a strong Royals' side to 113/9.

And it is that kind of form with the ball that will be needed in this match, and in the knock-out stages (assuming they go through), if the IPL 2013 dark horses are to go all the way.

Meanwhile, Kolkata will want this season to get over... fast. Gambhir and co have nine defeats from 15 games so far and are only three wins ahead of bottom-of-the-table duo Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors.

Sunrisers Hyderabad
Prashant Bhoot-IPL-SPORTZPICS

They did find a measure of form in recent games, winning three of the last four. But all of that came far too late to change the table situation. They come into this game after a seven-run loss to Pune and the knowledge that they have to improve their all-round game for next season.

Pune, who sit dead last in the table, took the Knight Riders apart, with Aaron Finch and Manish Pandey ably backed by captain Robin Uthappa and all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. That the Warriors could ensure only a seven-run margin in the end says more about their bad bowling than Kolkata's batting.

Yusuf Pathan has finally found some form but it is, again, too little too late for his side. Expect a significantly changed and revamped side for IPL 2014.

Team Form

Sunrisers Hyderabad

  • Last Five (most recent first): W L W L W
  • Last Match: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 23 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders

  • Last Five (most recent first): L W W L W
  • Last Match: Kolkata Knight Riders lost to Pune Warriors by seven runs