As the much-awaited final of the Indian Premier League 2024 comes upon us, the former international cricketers Matthew Hayden and Kevin Pietersen have tipped the Kolkata Knight Riders as the favourites to take the title as they are set to take on Pat Cummins’ Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
The former Australian opening batter suggested that the time they had since winning the Qualifier 1 clash against SRH will allow KKR to regroup as a unit and the break will prove to be crucial in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. He also believes that having beaten the Sunrisers in the league stages will add to their momentum.
“I’m very confident that KKR is going to win here, as having a few days off, having the ability to watch this match, and understanding what the strengths and weaknesses of Sunrisers Hyderabad are will be helpful,” Hayden said on Star Sports Cricket Live.
“KKR, having defeated SRH, is going to have great momentum. I also just feel that the quality spin of (Sunil) Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy on the red clay is going to make a difference,” he added.
The 52-year-old former Australia opener believes a strong mentality of players and team is important to win a rigorous tournament like the IPL.
“It’s about just getting it right, really as simple as that. You’ve done all the hard work, traversed the country, and been in and out of planes, buses, different hotels, and different beds. It’s a really challenging, rigorous tournament, and only the strong-hearted get a chance to lift that trophy at the end.
READ MORE: ‘Always Said I Can be a Better Bowler Than Him’: Abhishek Sharma Reveals Yuvraj Singh’s High Praise of SRH’s Breakout Star
“Finals are about sticking your chest out, owning your space, understanding your role, and going for the jugular. That’s the mentality you need in a final. It’s a hunt, and you need to be in it to win it,” he added.
The former English skipper, Kevin Pietersen also backed the two-time champions to be the front-runners for the title and suggested his disapproval of SRH’s manner of losing against KKR in the first playoff match.
“I didn’t like the way the Sunrisers threw in the towel the other evening in Ahmedabad, and I think it’s going to put them on the back foot for the start on Sunday,” he said.
Pietersen referred to the moment when Cummins gave the ball to their part-timer Travis Head which then allowed Shreyas Iyer to deal the final blow and give KKR their spot in the final.
READ MORE: Got Picked For 2022 T20 World Cup Because of RCB Fans: Dinesh Karthik
“The way they just finished that game off, Pat Cummins gave Travis Head the ball, and Shreyas Iyer just went bang, bang, bang. It’ll give KKR a lot of confidence going into the finals knowing that they’ve already beaten SRH a couple of days ago,” Pietersen said.
The former English batter however, believes that SRH can get back up in contention and referred to their success in the foreign franchise leagues like the SA20 and suggested that they do have the structure behind them to help them going forwards.
“So it’s going to be really hard for the Sunrisers to get up, but I think they will because they won the SA20, so they know how to win. They’ve got a structure that knows how to win, and when you’ve got that belief within the franchise, that belief within the ownership, then momentum has its own way.”
Pietersen feels toss will play a crucial factor but KKR’s positive mindset will definitely hand them an edge over SRH.
“The toss is 50-50. I actually think that you have to consider the possibility of dew and also be prepared if it doesn’t come. It’s all about the mindset and confidence coming into this fixture.
“That’s where I think KKR have an advantage, given the way they’ve played, their convincing win in qualifier one, and their preparation over the last three or four days.
“Also, look at their key players: the form of Sunil Narine at the top of the order, the batting form of Venkatesh Iyer, the skipper Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 50 in the last game, and their impressive bowlers, especially the spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Narine. They have a squad full of match-winners,” he said.
(with PTI Inputs)
Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024 , including updated list of Orange Cap In IPL 2024 and Purple Cap. Explore IPL Match Today . Check IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes , Most Fours ,Most Fifties And Most Hundreds In IPL 2024. Stay updated with the latest news on the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
Comments
0 comment