KKR Probable Playing XI: The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacers were at their destructive best in the Qualifier 1 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), leaving the Orange Army in tatters early on. Now, as they gear up for the huge final, KKR will be hoping for a repeat performance from their fiery bowling attack, with the lethal Mitchell Starc leading the charge. Does this mean that the two-time champions should go pace heavy in the ultimate clash?
KKR probable playing XI vs SRH in IPL 2024 Final
Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Impact Subs: Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Nitish Rana, KS Bharat, Sherfaine Rutherford
KKR pacers rattled SRH in Qualifier 1
During the Qualifier 1 clash, Starc was unplayable, taking wickets at crucial junctures and finishing with a spell of 3/34. The left-arm pacer was superb early on as he took all three wickets inside the powerplay, including the huge dismissal of Travis Head. He wasn’t alone in his demolition act. Young pacers Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora picked up two wickets between them, while Andre Russell got the better of the opposition skipper. The disciplined bowling from KKR skittled out SRH for a below-par 159 runs, laying the foundation for a comfortable victory.
Why should KKR go with four pacers vs SRH in Final?
Despite the Qualifier 2 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals proving to be a superb act for spinners, KKR’s four-pronged pace attack of Starc, Rana, Arora, and Russell could be a game-changer in the final. The red-soil pitch, unlike the Qualifier 2’s black soil, promises more bounce and seam movement, favoring the pacers. Maintaining the winning pace attack from Qualifier 1 can exploit SRH’s vulnerabilities. Rain predictions further strengthen the case for pacers, who can be more effective on a damp wicket. Russell’s medium pace adds another dimension, allowing KKR to maintain an aggressive bowling approach.
Regardless, KKR do have the options of their two quality spinners in Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, who both are expected to restrict the run-flow. Nitish Rana and Vaibhav Arora are likely to swap places as Impact substitutes depending upon which team is batting first.
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