At this time final 12 months, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad have been within the means of zealously fine-tuning their plans for the IPL last. Right by means of the summer season of 2024, they’d stamped their imprints by producing some riveting cricket, and have been absolutely deserving of a shot on the grand prize at a floodlit M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Cut to the current, the state of affairs is distinctly completely different. At seventh and eighth within the 10-team desk, they’re laggards whose forlorn destiny within the match was sealed lengthy earlier than the fruits of the league section. They will face one another on the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday in a contest of no consequence.
Both groups have been let down by their batting departments. In KKR’s case, the truth that skipper Ajinkya Rahane is the one one with greater than 300 runs paints a sorry image. During the course of this season, the crew was shot out for 116 versus Mumbai Indians, and failed to chase down 112 in opposition to Punjab Kings.
For SRH, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan did smash scintillating centuries that have been accountable for Pat Cummins’ males racking up the season’s two largest totals – 286 for six whereas batting first in opposition to Rajasthan Royals and 247 for 2 in a triumphant chase in opposition to PBKS. But past these glimpses of particular person brilliance, the consistency wanted collectively to sew collectively a playoff-entering run was lacking.
Introspection over their inadequacies is sure to observe. But earlier than that, they’ll search to close out a disappointing season on a successful word.
Published – May 24, 2025 05:59 pm IST
