The points table drama and the net run rate concern will matter no longer as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 got its four finalists after a 2-month-long hustle and some significant weather interference. The last week of the league stage was rain-dominant, bluffing the teams that were hopeful of an outside chance. Two consecutive washouts saw Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finish as the top 2 teams, with 20 and 17 points, respectively. Rajasthan Royals (RR) bore the brunt with five consecutive defeats while rain in their last home game denied them the ticket to Qualifier 1. They ended third on the table and will face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator.
The tournament arrives at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad – all decked up to host the first two playoff ties where one of the 4 contenders will make it to the big dance in Chennai while one unfortunate side will pack its bags and head back home.
The show begins with Qualifier 1, featuring the Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The winner of this electrifying clash will advance to the big final while the losing side will compete for one last time in Qualifier 2 – both to be held in Chennai, later this week.
Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024, including top contenders for the IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap. Explore the complete IPL 2024 Schedule, IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours and Most Fifties in IPL 2024
What: KKR vs SRH, IPL 2024 Qualifier 1
Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
When: May 21, Tuesday
Time: Toss at 19:00 hrs, Play starts at 19:30 hrs
Team News: KKR
IPL 2024 is the seventh season when KKR are in the playoffs but for Shreyas Iyer, it’s a first-time experience as Kolkata captain. It has been a season to remember for KKR – 9 wins, 3 losses and a top finish. The homecoming of two-time title-winning skipper Gautam Gambhir has done wonders for the team which is just a couple of games away from their third trophy triumph.
KKR have looked the most balanced side this season. Phil Salt’s excellence forced Rahmanullah Gurbaz to warm the benches while the return of Sunil Narine – the opener – rejuvenated Kolkata’s top-order this season. The leftover, if any, was very well taken care of by the likes of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell and Rinku Singh.
But comes the big game in Ahmedabad and the team will miss Salt who left for national duty. Gurbaz filling for him could have been tested in the last game against RR in Guwahati but rain kept it a surprise, only to be revealed in the Qualifier. If this combination fails on Tuesday, it’s a no-brainer that the Iyer duo, Russell and Rinku have to brace themselves for the heavy lifting.
KKR have been the third-most wicket-taking team of the IPL 2024. The season witnessed the revival of Varun Chakravarthy’s lost mystery, being the team’s leading wicket-taker this season with 18 scalps. He has been very well backed by Harshit Rana (16 wickets), Andre Russell (15), Narine (15) and the most expensive, Mitchell Starc (12).
Team News: SRH
If not a Warner then be it Cummins as the Sunrisers once again look to win the trophy under an Australian’s leadership. Back in the playoffs after 3 seasons, the Orange Army would love to continue with the hype they have created by redefining the style of playing T20 cricket, especially with the bat. The dynamic duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head can give any bowling attack a run for their money on a given day. Joining them is uncapped Andhra all-rounder Nitish Reddy who has been a find for the team this season. But SRH’s batting beyond these three has largely depended on Heinrich Klaasen and little on former captain, Aiden Markram. The inconsistencies of Rahul Tripathi, Abdul Samad and Mayank Agarwal seem to be a concern going into the next stage of the IPL 2024.
SRH’s formula for success has mostly been to bat first and crush the opposition with a mountain of runs. The batters mainly hold the key because the bowling department doesn’t have enough gas to exploit the opposition. With 68 wickets in 14 matches, the Sunrisers are third-last on the list of most wickets taken by a team this season. They used as many as 20 bowling resources this season and surprisingly, just three of them could pick wickets in double digits.
Natarajan stands atop with 17 scalps, followed by captain Cummins (15) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (11). Notably, the spinners have bit the dust.
Ahmedabad Weather
The weather in Ahmedabad has taken a drastic turn since washing the GT vs KKR fixture last Monday. The city is boiling right now and on the match day, the temperature will be soaring as high as 45 degrees Celsius which shall dip to 37 degrees in the evening. The best part is, that there are no chances of rain, promising a complete 40-over game with an on-time start of play.
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.
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