KKR vs SRH: High-stakes clash
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will face off in the highly anticipated final of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). KKR dominated SRH in Qualifier 1, winning by eight wickets. SRH secured their final berth by defeating Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2.
Team performances
KKR topped the IPL 2024 points table with nine wins out of 14 games and a net run rate (NRR) of +1.428. They finished with 20 points, despite two rain-abandoned matches. SRH secured second place with eight wins, earning 17 points and an NRR of +0.414.
Match details
The final will take place at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 26 at 7:30 PM IST. The pitch at this venue has historically favored spinners. According to ESPNcricinfo, chasing teams have won five out of eight matches here in IPL 2024, with an average first innings run rate of 8.85. The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioCinema.
Head-to-Head record
KKR and SRH have clashed 27 times, with KKR winning 18 matches to SRH’s nine. KKR has defeated SRH twice this season. In IPL playoffs, the teams are tied at 2-2. This will be KKR’s fourth final appearance and SRH’s third.
Venue records
KKR has struggled at Chennai, winning only four out of 14 IPL matches. SRH has a similarly poor record with just two wins in 11 games. The teams have met once at this venue in the IPL, with KKR winning by 10 runs in 2021.
Historical context
KKR has appeared in three IPL finals, winning in 2012 and 2014 under Gautam Gambhir, but losing to CSK in 2021. SRH won their maiden title in 2016 under David Warner but lost the final to CSK in 2018.
Key performers
- Sunil Narine: 482 runs (SR: 179.85) and 16 wickets (economy: 6.9).
- Andre Russell: 222 runs (SR: 185).
- Abhishek Sharma (SRH): 207.76 strike rate.
- Travis Head (SRH): 192.20 strike rate.
- T Natarajan (SRH): 19 wickets in 13 games.
Probable XIs
KKR: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy. Impact Player: Nitish Rana.
SRH: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Reddy, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan. Impact Player: Shahbaz Ahmed.
