(Credit IPL)
The Kolkata Knight Riders will face the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 final on Sunday.
For the 11th occasion in IPL history, the top two teams from the league stage will compete in the final showdown. Kolkata Knight Riders secured their place in the championship match by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad with an eight-wicket victory, while the Pat Cummins-led side overcame Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs in Qualifier 2 to seal their spot in the final.
Notably, both Kolkata and Hyderabad have each claimed the IPL title twice. Under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir, Kolkata Knight Riders clinched the championship in 2012 and 2014. Following Gambhir’s departure from the franchise in 2017, KKR reached the final once, facing defeat against Chennai Super Kings. Gambhir rejoined KKR ahead of IPL 2024, and in his inaugural year as KKR mentor, the team has successfully secured a place in the final.
Having triumphed over Hyderabad once during the league stage and again in Qualifier 1, Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the final with confidence. However, they anticipate a challenging encounter. Sunrisers Hyderabad has emerged as one of the most formidable teams in the 17th edition of the IPL, boasting a formidable bowling lineup capable of testing KKR’s batsmen. In terms of batting prowess, the likes of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Heinrich Klaasen will play crucial roles for SRH. Nevertheless, the majority of KKR’s players are in fine form, setting the stage for an exhilarating contest at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 26.
What if the final Match KKR vs SRH is washed out?
A disturbance is brewing over the Bay of Bengal, poised to impact the Eastern Ghats, yet it seems unlikely to disrupt the proceedings in Chennai. Expect temperatures hovering around 32 degrees Celsius, accompanied by complete cloud cover throughout the match. Winds are anticipated to gust at approximately 21 kilometers per hour. However, should the storm veer towards Chennai, the match could face significant disruption.
The umpires will exercise patience until 11:30 PM in hopes of commencing the game. Should conditions remain unfavorable, the match will be postponed to the reserve day, scheduled for May 27. This scenario echoes the final of IPL 2023, which also required a shift to the reserve day due to adverse conditions. It was on this day that CSK emerged victorious over the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
