The pulsating duel awaits as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) prepare to battle the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2024. Witness the excitement as this highstakes encounter takes place at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday May 21.
Shreyas Iyer team were the trailblazers in securing a berth in the knockout stage solidifying their position as the topperforming squad. On a contrasting note KKR encountered the unfortunate twist of having their last two matches affected by rain. Moreover they will be moving forward in the tournament without the contribution of Phil Salt.
SRH, on the other hand, secured second place via merit and a bit of luck. Following the cancellation of their match in Hyderabad, the Orange Army was forced to exchange points with the Gujarat Titans (GT). However, SRH went on to defeat the Punjab Kings (PBKS) after a great run chase, bringing their total points to 17.
SRH wanted Rajasthan Royals (RR) to lose their last league-stage encounter against KKR in Guwahati. However, the fight was washed out, which benefited Pat Cummins and company. With SRH and RR tied on 17 points each, the former took second place due to their higher net run rate.
The next playoff game pits two hitting powerhouses against two clever bowling teams, providing us with lots of matchups to study.
On that point, here are three player fights to look forward to in the SRH vs KKR Qualifier 1 showdown in IPL 2024.
1. Travis Head (SRH) vs Mitchell Starc (KKR)
If SRH bats first, a thrilling clash between two left-handed Australians might begin immediately. Travis Head and Mitchell Starc have had different seasons, but it would be silly to write the latter out in a crucial quarterfinal match.
When SRH last played KKR, Head had not yet entered the picture. A lot has happened since then. SRH will look to Head for another productive start to capitalize on, while KKR will want Mitchell Starc to attack early with the new ball.
Head was recently dismissed for a golden duck by a left-handed bowler, and he is hoping to avoid a repetition. Starc has already beaten Head on Australia’s home circuit with his characteristic full-swinging deliveries.
2. Sunil Narine (KKR) vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SRH)
Sunil Narine has been a constant headache for most new ball bowlers causing them all sorts of trouble with his aggressive play. Nevertheless his fortunes changed when he came up against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. During his latest showdown with SRH as the opening batter he suffered the blow of a runout limiting his time against the talented rightarm pacer.
Bhuvneshwar, as an experienced contender, is likely to have a few tricks in his sleeve and will not allow Narine to overpower him from the start. The pacer may also receive assistance from the venue, which frequently aids new ball movement under the lights.
The pacer has previously kept Narine quiet, giving only 32 runs off 30 deliveries with a strike rate of 106.66 in 11 encounters. He has also struck out the left-handed hitter twice, the most recent coming during the 2023 season.
3. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) vs Varun Chakravarthy (KKR)
Heinrich Klaasen’s heroics against spinners are usually game-changers. This one seems more essential than the others because of how this specific match-up altered the game the previous time these two teams played.
Heinrich Klaasen clobbered Varun Chakravarthy for four sixes on his way to nearly winning the match with 63 runs off 29 deliveries. Since then, the spinner has adjusted to the tournament, even entering the Purple Cap race. As a result, a hypothetical round two between these two players becomes pretty fascinating.
Overall, the Proteas batter has a strong record against the mystery spinner. In two matches, he has 29 runs off 12 balls with a strike rate of 241.66.