The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has reached its climax, with the final four teams determined after a tumultuous two-month journey fraught with weather interruptions. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) emerged as the top two teams, securing their spots in the playoffs with 20 and 17 points, respectively. However, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) faced a string of defeats, compounded by rain during their crucial home game, ultimately landing them in third place. They now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator.
The action shifts to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the first two playoff matches will take place, deciding which team will advance to the final in Chennai and which will bid farewell to their IPL dreams.
Qualifier 1 kicks off the playoffs, featuring a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The winner of this high-stakes encounter will secure a direct berth in the final, while the losing team will get another shot in Qualifier 2, also to be held in Chennai later in the week.
Match Details:
- Fixture: KKR vs SRH, IPL 2024 Qualifier 1
- Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Date: May 21, Tuesday
- Time: Toss at 19:00 hrs, Play starts at 19:30 hrs
Team Previews:
KKR:
Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders have enjoyed a stellar season, securing nine wins and three losses to finish at the top of the table. The return of former captain Gautam Gambhir as a mentor has provided a significant boost to the team’s morale. Despite the absence of Phil Salt, who is on national duty, KKR boasts a well-balanced squad with the likes of Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, and Rinku Singh stepping up to the plate. Their bowling attack, led by Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Mitchell Starc, has been among the most potent in the tournament.
SRH:
Under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad has made a remarkable return to the playoffs after a three-year absence. Their batting lineup, spearheaded by Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, has been formidable, although they’ve heavily relied on a few key players. Concerns linger over the consistency of Rahul Tripathi, Abdul Samad, and Mayank Agarwal. With a bowling unit lacking in firepower, SRH’s strategy has often revolved around posting imposing totals. Natarajan, Cummins, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar lead the bowling department, but the spinners have struggled to make an impact.
Weather Update:
Ahmedabad is expected to witness scorching temperatures, with highs reaching 45 degrees Celsius during the day, gradually dropping to 37 degrees in the evening. Fortunately, there’s no forecast of rain, ensuring an uninterrupted 40-over contest with play commencing on time.
Squads:
KKR:
Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Allah Ghazanfar, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain.
SRH:
Pat Cummins (c), Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Heinrich Klaasen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, T. Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav, Umran Malik, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Travis Head, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan.
The stage is set for an electrifying showdown as KKR and SRH battle it out for a place in the IPL 2024 final. With both teams possessing formidable lineups, fans can expect a thrilling contest under the blazing Ahmedabad sun.(Dubai7 realmoneygame)