The stage is set for a thrilling finale as Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Pat Cummins, and Kolkata Knight Riders, under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir, clash for the IPL 2024 trophy. After 64 days of intense competition, the two teams will face off in the finals on Sunday night at the iconic Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. Fans eagerly await to see who will emerge victorious and lift the coveted trophy.
The Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Shreyas Iyer, have reached the IPL finals for the fourth time, while Sunrisers Hyderabad also make their fourth finals appearance (with Deccan Chargers once) driven by clutch performances. Both teams have shown exceptional performances and teamwork, earning their place in this exciting finale.
What makes this final match so enthralling and exciting?
Opening Pair: Travis Head, with 567 runs at an average of 43.62, and his partner Abhishek Sharma, who scored 482 runs at an average of 34.43, have been pivotal in SRH’s success this year. Similarly, the KKR batting duo has been just as impactful, with Sunil Narine matching Abhishek's 482 runs at an average of 37.08, and Phil Salt contributing 435 runs at an average of 39.55. Though Salt is unavailable, his replacement, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, is an explosive batsman and wicket keeper who can effectively fill Salt’s role and maintain the team's momentum.
Finishers: SRH boasts one of the world's top finishers in Heinrich Klaasen, while Andre Russell is his perfect counterpart for KKR. Both players are known for their explosive six-hitting abilities and their knack for turning the game around in crucial moments.
Six Hitters: Abhishek Sharma (42), Heinrich Klaasen (38), and Travis Head (32) have collectively hit 112 sixes for SRH. On the KKR side, Sunil Narine leads with 32 sixes, while Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell have combined for 16 sixes. Russell hasn't been among the top ten six hitters this year due to limited batting opportunities, KKR anyway won't mind as long as they have reached the finals.
Spin Attack: KKR has been the best spinning duo in this competition, as the stats suggest. Varun Chakravarthy has taken 20 wickets with an economy of 8.18, while the magician Sunil Narine has 16 scalps with an exceptional economy of 6.90. In contrast, SRH has frequently rotated their spinners, using Mayank Markande, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Abhishek Sharma. Mayank Markande, their highest wicket-taker with 8 wickets, hasn't played since the first half of the season, particularly after being hit for four sixes in an over by Rajat Patidar in the match against RCB. SRH has heavily relied on their pace attack. However, given the track's tendency to grip in the last match against RR, it will be interesting to see if they bring in additional spinners or stick with their current lineup. With KKR featuring four left-handers in Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, and Rinku Singh, SRH might consider bringing in off-spinner Washington Sundar for Jaydev Unadkat, who bowled only one over in the previous game. Sundar also strengthens the batting lineup.
Pace Attack: While KKR may have the edge in spin bowling, SRH shines in the pace department. T Natarajan leads the charts for SRH with 19 wickets at an economy of 8.83, followed closely by skipper Pat Cummins with 17 wickets at 9.28. On the other hand, Harshit Rana is KKR's top wicket-taker with 17 scalps and an economy of 9.40, with Andre Russell not far behind with 16 wickets at 10.28. Additionally, the often-overlooked Mitchell Starc comes into the match with momentum, having claimed 3 wickets and the Player of the Match award in the previous game against RR. His history of success against Travis Head adds intrigue to this contest. It is going to be an exciting battle between these two Australians.
Fielding Department: Shreyas Iyer leads the pack with an impressive tally of 10 catches, closely followed by Abdul Samad with 9, both securing spots in the top 10 list for most catches this season. Their prowess in the outfield is truly remarkable. On the KKR side, the likes of Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and Andre Russell Meanwhile, SRH boasts with Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, and Aiden Markram who can bring their own brand of fielding excellence. These are the standout fielders worth keeping an eye on.
Probably Playing XI:
KKR Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy
KKR Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora/Suyash Sharma
SRH Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Aiden Markram, Rahul Tripathi, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan.
SRH Impact Player: Washington Sundar,
Who bowled the most dot balls in the history of IPL?
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the list for bowling the most dot balls so far, having delivered 1665 dots. Close behind is Sunil Narine, who has bowled 1596 dot balls, securing the second spot in this category.
Who has the best strike rate in the history of IPL?
- Phil Salt leads the pack with an astounding strike rate of 175.54 across 21 innings, while Andre Russell follows closely in second place with 174.93 from 125 innings. Travis Head claims the third position with a strike rate of 174.27 in 24 innings, and Heinrich Klaasen secures fourth place with 170.51 in 34 innings. With all of these dynamic players potentially featuring in the upcoming contest, anticipation for the game will be heightened even further.
Interesting Stats and Facts:
- Shreyas Iyer is just 1 catch away from completing 50 IPL catches in IPL
- Sunil Narine & Abhishek Sharma both are just 18 runs away from completing 500 IPL runs in this season.
- Sunil Narine is just short of 4 sixes from completing 100 IPL sixes.
- Rinku Singh is 4 sixes away from completing 50 IPL sixes
- Venkatesh Iyer will be playing his 50th IPL match.
- Aiden Markram is just 25 runs short from completing 1000 IPL runs.
- Heinrich Klassen is 23 runs from completing 1000 IPL runs.
- Pat Cummins is 5 runs short of 500 IPL runs.
- KKR won both titles while chasing (2012 & 2014) & lost one final while chasing too (2021)
- SRH (& Deccan Chargers) won both titles while defending (2009 & 2016) & lost one final while defending too (2018).
Weather and Pitch Report:
AccuWeather forecasts partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of rain on Saturday. On Sunday, the chance of rain decreases to 4%, with only a 1% chance of thunderstorms. Despite this, a significant cloud cover is predicted for the IPL 2024 final.
In the SRH vs RR qualifier 2 at Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, the pitch offered extra bounce, favoring seamers who hit the deck hard. There was also seam movement, albeit slight. Despite no dew, the pitch slowed down, aiding SRH spinners. Expect a similar pitch for the final, promising an exciting battle between bat and ball. With dew unlikely to be a factor, winning the toss and batting first could be advantageous.
What will happen if the game is abandoned due to rain?
In last year's IPL 2023 Finals, there was a reserve day for rain delays, but Qualifiers in the playoffs don't have this. If a match is washed out, KKR would be declared the winner due to their higher points in the IPL table.
Match Details:
Time: 7.30 PM (IST)
Venue: M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Live Broadcast: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Jio Cinema app
Dream XI Fantasy Team:
