After more than two months, the highly anticipated IPL 2024 is set to conclude with an electrifying final between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26.
KKR topped the points table for the first time, securing nine wins and three losses from 14 games. They triumphed over Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in a one-sided Qualifier 1 clash. After bowling out the Orange Army for 159 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Kolkata chased down the target with eight wickets and 38 balls remaining.
Following their defeat in Qualifier 1, Sunrisers Hyderabad had to take a longer route to the finals. They faced the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Pat Cummins’ men posted 175/9 in their 20 overs and then restricted Rajasthan to 139/7 in the second innings.
KKR vs SRH: Match Preview
Battersea Power Station in June 2023, Adalaj Stepwell in Ahmedabad in November 2023, and Marina Beach in Chennai in May 2024. At each major cricket trophy photoshoot ahead of a big final over the past year, Pat Cummins has been in the frame. Twice, he managed to edge out the opposing captain—Rohit Sharma on both occasions—from the crowning glory shot just over 24 hours later.
Sunrisers Hyderabad finished last in 2021, eighth in 2022, and last again in 2023, while KKR placed seventh in the previous two seasons. SRH broke auction records to sign an overseas fast bowler unproven in the IPL and appointed him as captain. KKR, in turn, surpassed SRH’s record bid for a fast bowler who hadn’t played in the league since 2015. These moves, which left both teams with little flexibility for other major signings, were met with widespread skepticism. Neither team was considered a favorite to reach the final in Chennai on May 26.
However, they’ve reached this point by playing astonishing cricket: KKR and SRH have scored faster than any team ever has in an IPL season. After four other sides started with regulation totals in the first two games of the season, KKR and SRH went all out against each other at Eden Gardens, setting a high pace that they maintained throughout the season. They forced the rest of the teams to elevate their game, and those that couldn’t keep up had no chance of competing.
Sunday’s summit clash features two unexpected contenders. Neither team is vying for a record sixth title to surpass the other, and the most remarkable redemption arc of the season ended just before the final. Instead, we have two cold, calculative batting powerhouses who have set and reset the standards for this season.
The array of batting talent set to take the field is only part of why Sunday’s game will be a spectacle. The title tussle between two teams with middling, nondescript identities for most of this cycle adds a fascinating subplot. After consecutive finishes in the lower half of the table, both franchises needed a change. Their trophy cabinets, though not empty, had remained sealed for too long without new additions.
KKR won their two trophies in 2012 and 2014, while SRH claimed their title in 2016. Following their struggles in recent seasons, these two teams have led the batting revolution in IPL 2024, making it fitting that one of them will add to their tally of titles on Sunday.
KKR revisited their glory from a decade ago, bringing back an old messiah in hopes that his experience and strategies would rejuvenate the team. SRH bet on a recent trophy-winner to turn their fortunes around. As the past two months have shown, both Gambhir and Cummins have proven to be inspired acquisitions.
On the field, the narratives are deep and intersecting. While both teams may share similar batting philosophies, their bowling approaches and arsenals are vastly different. Although the two teams played a one-sided Q1 just days ago, they should not carry any of that into Sunday. With a trophy at stake, Shreyas might find himself warily watching for that dreaded nudge from Cummins’ less-favored team.
In Terms Of Recent Form:
KKR WWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
SRH WLWWL
KKR vs SRH: Pitch Report & Conditions
During Qualifier 2, legendary former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen revealed that he had spoken with the curator at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, learning that the final would be played on a red-clay surface, reminiscent of those in Mumbai. Consequently, a high-scoring match is anticipated on Sunday. Both teams boast formidable batting line-ups that have consistently piled on runs this season. While there was no dew in Qualifier 2, teams need to remain cautious about its potential presence.
The unpredictability of dew looms large. Although it was absent just two nights ago, its occurrence on Sunday remains uncertain. Even Pat Cummins conceded that predicting dew is challenging. The final will take place on pitch #4, a red-soil wicket. This is the same pitch where CSK lost to PBKS earlier this month, with Punjab’s spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar combining for 4 wickets for 33 runs in 8 overs. On that occasion, PBKS benefited from dew in their chase of CSK’s 162/7.
A spell of steady showers interrupted KKR’s practice session on Saturday evening, but the weather forecast for match day looks clear. A sudden shower around 5:45 pm on the eve of the final cut KKR’s training short, lasting over an hour. However, Sunday’s forecast is favorable: temperatures between 30-35°C with high humidity, and less than a 5% chance of rain, according to AccuWeather.
The final will be played on a red-soil strip, which is expected to be more batting-friendly than the black-soil surface where RR were spun out by SRH in Qualifier 2. This pitch is more centrally located on the square, ensuring more even boundary dimensions. The big question remains the dew, which is typically expected but was notably absent during RR’s chase against SRH on Friday.
“I feel the pitch is completely different from what they played yesterday,” Shreyas said on the eve of the match. “It’s a red-soil [pitch] and yesterday, if I’m not wrong, it was a black-soil wicket. We don’t know how the wicket is going to play tomorrow and also looking at the match from the TV, we felt the dew factor would play a great role, but it didn’t and the ball started spinning“
KKR vs SRH: Head-to-head
- Matches Played: 27
- Kolkata Knight Riders Won: 18
- Sunrisers Hyderabad Won: 9
- No Results: 0
- First Played: 14 April, 2013
- Last Played: 22 May, 2024
In their first match of the season at Eden Gardens, Andre Russell powered KKR to a total of 208, with SRH, led by Heinrich Klaasen, finishing close at 204. They met again in Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad, having finished first and second in the league. KKR emerged victorious by eight wickets with 38 balls to spare, highlighted by Mitchell Starc dismissing Travis Head on the second ball.
Historically, only once has a team won the IPL final after losing all their previous matches against their fellow finalists. This occurred when the Mumbai Indians defeated Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 final, despite losing both league matches and Qualifier 1. In six other seasons, the team that entered the final with a 0-2 or 0-3 record against their opponents ended up losing.
KKR vs SRH: Team News and Impact Player Strategy
Kolkata Knight Riders
The victorious KKR from Qualifier 1 boasts a full squad with no absentees from their recent win against SRH. Barring any unexpected injuries, KKR is expected to maintain the same lineup that secured victory in Qualifier 1. Nitish Rana and Vaibhav Arora are poised to rotate in and out as Impact Players based on the team’s requirements when batting or bowling first.
In their recent encounter, KKR effectively dismantled SRH’s opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, setting a strong precedent. The rematch between Starc and Head in the final promises to be an intriguing showdown, despite Head’s proven capability against left-arm pacers.
If KKR’s top-order encounters difficulties, Andre Russell’s prowess against SRH’s bowling lineup could offer a lifeline for the two-time champions. Russell has notably dominated Bhuvneshwar Kumar, scoring 97 runs off 37 balls in the IPL. Additionally, he has performed impressively against Natarajan, SRH’s standout bowler this season, smashing 43 runs off 26 balls. Furthermore, Jaydev Unadkat has struggled against Russell, conceding 24 runs in just 9 balls.
Predicted XII:
- Sunil Narine
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Shreyas Iyer (capt)
- Nitish Rana
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Ramandeep Singh
- Mitchell Starc
- Harshit Rana
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Vaibhav Arora
Sunrisers Hyderabad
The composition of SRH’s team may not be straightforward. In Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, Shahbaz Ahmed’s inclusion as an Impact Player proved vital, scoring 18 runs and taking 3 wickets for 23 runs with his left-arm spin. However, with KKR boasting four left-handed batters – Narine, Venkatesh, Rana, and Rinku – SRH might need to devise an alternative bowling strategy for the final.
There’s also uncertainty regarding their fourth overseas player. Aiden Markram returned for Qualifier 2 after missing five games but struggled, continuing a poor run of form with just 1 run off 2 balls. While Markram was sidelined, SRH experimented with allrounder Marco Jansen and leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth with limited success. The question remains whether it’s too late for Glenn Phillips to make an impact this season.
In a venue where pace has outweighed spin, SRH will rely on the quartet of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins, T Natarajan, and Jaydev Unadkat against one of the season’s strongest top-orders. Although Sunil Narine fell to Cummins recently, he has also struggled against Bhuvneshwar [31 runs | 28 balls | 2 wickets] and Unadkat [19 runs | 22 balls | 3 wickets]. Venkatesh Iyer, a key player for KKR, has been dismissed twice in 7 balls by Natarajan, while Bhuvneshwar has contained both Venkatesh and Shreyas Iyer with a sub-100 strike rate.
SRH reintroduced Aiden Markram after Qualifier 1 to stabilize their batting in case of a top-order collapse. Markram’s performances against Varun CV, who has been a consistent wicket-taker with a commendable economy rate, make him a viable option once again.
This match will test Cummins’s bowling management. With KKR’s left-handers at the top and in the middle, Cummins may need to use his match winners from Qualifier 1 (Abhishek Sharma and Shahbaz Ahmed) sparingly. He might need to find opportunities with two right-handers in the middle to sneak in an over or two from them while relying on the quicks for the rest. Nitish Reddy’s bowling skills could also be called upon.
Predicted XII:
- Travis Head
- Abhishek Sharma
- Rahul Tripathi
- Aiden Markram
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Abdul Samad
- Shahbaz Ahmed/Mayank Markande
- Pat Cummins
- Jaydev Unadkat
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- T Natarajan
KKR vs SRH: Players Under The Spotlight
KKR- Sheyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer stands as the sole captain to steer two distinct franchises to the IPL final: the Delhi Capitals in 2020 and KKR this year. However, recent months have been a rollercoaster for him. After grappling with a back injury following the 2023 ODI World Cup, he faced setbacks, including exclusion from India’s Test squad, loss of his BCCI contract, and absence from consideration for the T20 World Cup squad.
Despite exhibiting a faster scoring rate in this IPL season than ever before (345 runs at a strike rate of 146.19), his batting performances have been relatively subdued. Most of his runs have come on the back of solid contributions from the top order. Nonetheless, his most impactful innings emerged against SRH in Qualifier 1, where his unbeaten 58 off 24 balls in the chase underscored his potential to deliver pivotal performances, especially in the absence of the prolific Phil Salt at the top.
SRH- Pat Cummins
As the skipper of Australia, Pat Cummins has adorned his resume with impressive accolades in the past year, including clinching the World Test Championship, retaining the Ashes in England, and securing the ODI World Cup in India. However, if he leads SRH to IPL glory as an overseas captain in his inaugural leadership role in T20 cricket, it could mark his most remarkable achievement yet. While he ranks as their second-highest wicket-taker this season (17 wickets with an economy of 9.29), his performance has been relatively understated, lacking headline-grabbing displays. Yet, if history is any indication, Cummins has the capacity to shine when the stakes are highest, reminiscent of his impactful showing in Ahmedabad back in November.
KKR vs SRH: Match Prediction
Scenario 1
- Toss: Kolkata Knight Riders win the toss and opt to bowl.
- Power Play Score: 60-70
- First Innings Score: 200-210
- Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders win the match.
Scenario 2
- Toss: Sunrisers Hyderabad win the toss and opt to bowl.
- Power Play Score: 65-75
- First Innings Score: 205-215
- Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders win the match.
KKR vs SRH: Dream 11 Fantasy Prediction
Team 1:
- Keeper: Heinrich Klaasen, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Batsman: Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (C), Travis Head (VC), Rahul Tripathi
- All-rounders: Andre Russel, Sunil Narine
- Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, Pat Cummins
Team 2:
- Keeper: Heinrich Klaasen
- Batsman: Shreyas Iyer (CV), Rinku Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram (C)
- All-rounders: Andre Russel, Sunil Narine, Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins
When and Where to Watch the Match: Streaming & Broadcast Details
What: IPL 2024 Final- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), IPL 2024
When: 7:30 PM IST, Sunday – May 26
Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Where to watch KKR vs SRH Live Streaming: JioCinema app for FREE
Where to watch KKR vs SRH Live Telecast: Star Sports
