Will Sunrisers Hyderabad finally claim a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders? They tried it in the group stage, couldn’t. They tried again in IPL Qualifiers 1, couldn’t. Will it be third time luck for the Hyderabad outfits? On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders remain firm favourites to lift the trophy.
It will be Shreyas Iyer vs Pat Cummins once again, a replay of the Qualifiers 1 at Chepauk. SRH will be desperate for revenge now after being handed 2 losses by the Knights. On the other hand, a magnificent match-up between Travis Head and Mitchell Starc awaits the fans.
In the previous game, it was the pacer who dispatched Head for a duck. Now the ace opener will be out for blood, especially in a final, something that he loves to play. None the less, Pat Cummins is also appearing in a final in India, a place where he lifted the ultimate prize, hardly 6 months back.
Kolkata or Hyderabad? Who outwits the other?
Kolkata Knight Riders have been the team of the season. They started on a decent pace, but they outclassed everyone rapidly to finish as group toppers. They humiliated SRH in Qualifiers 1 and secured a place in the finals. On the other hand, SRH has to earn it the hard way.
Take nothing away, SRH too humiliated Rajasthan Royals in IPL Qualifiers 2 to seal their spot in the IPL 2024 Finals. And now it is KKR vs SRH 3.0 or the third round. The previous 2 rounds have gone to the Knights, but this is different. Here, winner takes all. And SRH would be eyeing for that.
It will be a classy contest yet again at the iconic Chepauk. While dew will certainly play a big factor, the slow conditions of the pitch however can turn the tide in favour of KKR. While the Knights have consistency and form, SRH has that oomph and X-factor that can leverage them out of any situation.
A classic game awaits us at Chepauk. “The line it is drawn, The curse it is cast’ and only the ‘Winner takes it all’. As SRH eye their second title, it is the Knights who await their third for over a decade.
Editors pick
