IPL 2024: Top 3 player battles to watch out for in the KKR vs SRH Match

Cricket fans in India are excitedly waiting for the first playoff match of the Indian Premier League 2024 season. Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the venue as the Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both sides will be excited to play the game as the winner will fly to Chennai as the finalist. 

Two time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders booked their place in the playoffs by beating Mumbai Indians at home. It has been a great season for the men from Kolkata as they have been terrific with the bat and ball. Shreyas Iyer had taken Delhi Capitals to the finals in 2020 and this is second chance with a different team to emulate the feat. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s last ever involvement with a IPL final was in 2018 when they lost to Chennai Super Kings. Kane Williamson may have been unable to win the title back then but Pat Cummins has the chance to set the record straight. 

Here are the top 3 player battles from the KKR vs SRH match 

3. Sunil Narine (KKR) vs Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) 

The onus of leading the spin bowling department will fall on the shoulder of Sunil Narine. The veteran KKR star has been in great nick this season for his team. While his batting form has been a huge talking point, Sunil Narine has also been a steady performer with the ball with an impressive economy rate. 

The biggest challenge for Sunil Narine will be South African star Heinrich Klaasen who is a very destructive batter against spin. This year many of the slower bowlers have been taken to task by Heinrich Klaasen in the middle-overs. It will be a great battle between Narine and Klaasen when the two face each other. 

2. Pat Cummins (SRH) vs Andre Russell (KKR)

Australian skipper Pat Cummins and his leadership qualities have shone through this year during IPL 2024. The 31-year-old has been able to bowl well and keep his team in the game when the going has got tricky 

The biggest challenge for Pat Cummins and SRH will be West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell. Everyone knows how dangerous the 35-year-old is with the bat and his ability to clear the ropes. If there is one area Russell has struggled it is against the short ball and Pat Cummins will want to use it to his advantage and get the Jamaican out early. 

1. Varun Chakravarthy (KKR) vs Travis Head (SRH)

Australian opener Travis Head has dominated every attack that has been put out in front of him. Be it pace bowlers or spin bowlers the left-handed batter has been a thorn in the flesh of every team with his aggressive batting. 
The one bowler who could stop Travis Head from exploding with the bat is Varun Chakravarthy. The KKR spinner has a bag of tricks that can get rid of the best batters in the world.