Warner & Lynn IPL specials for Sunrisers vs. Knight Riders

Online bookmakers can hardly split the two sides, which finished a single point apart in the league standings.

Sunrisers Hyderabad bring the better form into the big clash at Bangalore, having won their last two games to seal third place.

They were in trouble early on against Gujarat Lions in their last fixture as Dwayne Smith and Ishan Kishan blasted 111 off 10 overs for the first wicket.

But stellar spells from Mohammed Siraj (4/32) and Rashid Khan (3/34) saw the Lions add only 53 more runs before Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/25) cleaned up the tail.

There were warning signs early in the chase when Praveen Kumar dismissed both Shikhar Dhawan and Moises Henriques in the third over, but David Warner (69*) and Vijay Shankar (63*) saw Sunrisers home without any further dramas.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ run to the finals has been far less impressive.

Poised for a top-two finish and a double chance at reaching the final, they lost four of their last five league games to slide back to fourth place.

Five of KKR’s top seven made strong starts in the chase against Mumbai Indians last time out, yet Manish Pandey’s 33 ended up as the high score as they fell 10 runs shy of the 174 required.

There is a suspicion that Chris Lynn’s timely return from injury has actually upset the balance of Kolkata’s top order, with Robin Uthappa failing to fire since moving down to the second drop.

It could mean a change of role for pinch-hitting opener Sunil Narine, whose duck against the Indians was his fourth single-figure score in six knocks.

Sunrisers and Knight Riders halved the spoils in their two league meetings this season, each winning at home.

David Warner betting specials

• To score 50 – +175 at Bet365
• Top Sunrisers batsman – +240 at Sportsbet
• Man of the match – +600 at Sportsbet

Warner’s consistency in Indian Premier League cricket is something else.

Eight of his 13 hits this season have produced scores of 40 or higher, including four half-centuries and a massive 126 when Sunrisers smashed KKR last time they met.

Between them, Warner and Dhawan have racked up 1072 runs to become easily the most potent opening pair in IPL 2017.

If you see any online bookie paying better than +200 for the Aussie star to top score, take those odds.

Chris Lynn top batsman bets

• Most runs vs. Warner – -113.64 at Sportsbet
• Most sixes – +333 at Bet365
• Top match batsman – +400 at Sportsbet

For all the talent on both teams, this game could come down to a straight shootout between two of the world’s best hitters.

With only five bats under his belt, Lynn has amassed 285 runs at 71.25 with an astonishing strike rate of 186.27.

There is nobody in the world right now who clears fences with such casual frequency.

It would take a brave punter indeed to bet against a guy who is averaging more than three sixes per game this season and is yet to be dismissed for less than 26.

Sunrisers vs. KKR match tip

Sunrisers win/Warner top batsman – +450 at Sportsbet

When you look at the respective lineups, it is easy to see why the bookies are so reluctant to give any value one way or the other.

Both sides boast enormous firepower, but it is hard to look past Warner and Dhawan at the top for Sunrisers.

They also have serious bowling depth and a few big-game players, like Henriques, who have a happy habit of stepping up when the heat is on.