The 2024 edition Indian Premier League is now at its fag end as Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the summit clash on Sunday in Chennai. KKR, two-time IPL champions, have been the most dominant side of the tournament and finished the league stage on top and then outclassed SRH in qualifier 1 to seal the place in the final.
Kolkata had the experience of winning an IPL final at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium as they beat home side Chennai Super Kings to lift their maiden title in 2012.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side has lost just three matches all season and the return of Gautam Gambhir to the camp as a mentor this time has worked wonders for them. The former KKR skipper motivated Sunil Narine to take up the opening slot once again which worked extremely well for them as the left-handed batter has scored 482 runs, including a century.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy and fast bowler Harshit Rana have also shared 37 wickets between them.
However, their preparations for the mega-final were hampered by the rain. The inside sources told Hindustan Times that the rain affected KKR's training on Saturday.
Also Read | Shreyas Iyer drops 'Gautam Gambhir' remark in response to 'media hype' on leading KKR to IPL 2024 final
{{/usCountry}}However, their preparations for the mega-final were hampered by the rain. The inside sources told Hindustan Times that the rain affected KKR's training on Saturday.
Also Read | Shreyas Iyer drops 'Gautam Gambhir' remark in response to 'media hype' on leading KKR to IPL 2024 final
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, KKR skipper Iyer has also been receiving massive praise from the fans and cricket fraternity for his leadership skills on the field. His decision-making and calm demeanour on the field helped the team to thrive under pressure.
Iyer had led Delhi Capitals to the IPL title clash in 2020 before guiding KKR to this edition’s summit match against Sunrisers Hyderabad to be played here on Sunday.
Asked if he feels that his achievements as a leader haven't received enough traction, the straight-talking Mumbaikar replied sharply.
“The hype is definitely created by you guys (media). Where I stand (as a skipper) is definitely on you (to decide),” Iyer replied to a query from PTI during the pre-match conference on Saturday.
Meanwhile, SRH beat Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs in the last qualifier in Chennai on Friday to secure a place in their third IPL final. But that win came after a crushing eight-wicket defeat by two-time champions Kolkata in the first play-off in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Hyderabad's only title in the world's most lucrative T20 tournament came in 2016 under another Australian, David Warner and this season Pat Cummins looks determined to replicate the same.