IPL 2024 Qualifier 1: Maintaining momentum huge challenge for KKR; SRH openers still hold cards for them

The Qualifier 1 at Ahmedabad has got a feeling of great grandeur. Two of the top sides in  Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) going up against each other is  mouth-watering stuff. This game will also see a clash between two of the most expensive players  in the history of IPL – Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Two icons of Australian cricket.  

Cummins has been outstanding, not just in picking 15 wickets so far but also in the way he has  led the side. There was a little bit of uncertainty regarding his captaincy in this format of the  game as he had not played this role enough previously. But Cummins has emerged as a brilliant  leader even in T20s, and in one of the toughest leagues in the world. 

Mitchell Starc is now beginning to find form. He is a big-match player and has got one three-fer  and four-fer already in the tournament. He may not have been at his best so far but throw the bad  form out of the window now as playoffs are a different game altogether and a big match player  like Starc knows how to win these. Same for Cummins. I feel these two players will play a  central role for their respective teams in the first qualifier. 

KKR: A new opener and maintaining momentum two big challenges

I have been hugely impressed with KKR and they have clearly been the standout side this  season. Their NRR is extraordinary. They have found different players rising to the occasion and  they have registered some authoritative wins. 

The only question mark I can see in their overall game is whether they can deliver a win when  their top-order does not shine. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine’s runs at the top are a big reason behind  KKR’s success this season. Salt has left for national duty and Rahmanullah Gurbaz is going to  open the innings with Narine. It would be interesting to see how KKR fare with a different  opening pair at this stage. And what happens if they do not do well. 

Gurbaz has an ample amount of IPL experience behind him and is a solid opener in this format.  Both KKR and Gurbaz would have liked it if he got to play the last match vs Rajasthan Royals  (RR) which got washed out. Some runs could have done wonders to Gurbaz’s confidence before  the playoffs. 

The other thing that has impressed me about KKR is not just their numbers but the way they got  the numbers. Looking at their game from close quarters while working in the IPL, I can say they  have been very smart and clever throughout the tournament. 

KKR always found a way to get to a good score in conditions which were not always  straightforward. They have adapted to the conditions better than most of the sides. 

Venkatesh Iyer plays a huge role in this team. He is not someone who plays with a strike rate of  over 200. But he is a clever player, adapts to the conditions, reads the game well and takes the  side to a competitive total. KKR have got a nice balance of power at the top and experience in  the middle. They also have one of the best spin attacks in the competition in the form of Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy. They are good readers of the batters’ movement and bowl  accordingly. They know how to bowl in different situations. 

We know Andre Rusell is going to get runs, play the match-winning knocks but for me one of  the big differences this year at KKR has been how he has chipped in with wickets. Russell has  again become a valuable all-rounder for KKR after his form went down in the last couple of  seasons. Not to forget, there is Harshit who perhaps has been overshadowed by bigger names.  But he too has done a great job. 

My only concern with KKR is that their last two games of the competition got washed out, first  against Gujarat and then against Rajasthan. They have been a top side throughout but have not  played a huge amount of cricket recently. The good thing about this will be that they will be  fresh and raring to go while the flip side is that there could be sudden lack of form and rhythm as  you were used to playing more consistently.  

SRH: Head, Cummins, Abhishek key players

Sunrisers, to me, has been the most fun side to watch. I reckon that SRH would be a fun dressing  room to be a part of because of the way they play. They look to enjoy themselves whenever they  are in the park. This attitude and mindset are the reason why SRH have have played aggressive  cricket consistently as a sense of fearlessness also takes over when you are enjoying the game. 

There is a bit of symmetry between these sides in the top order. Narine and Salt have done a  great job at the top and Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma have done the same for Sunrisers. 

The game against Punjab saw a big moment in the game, from SRH’s perspective, after Head  was gone on the first ball. The fact that they chased down a target of over 200 despite Head  getting out early must have given the dressing room a sense of self-belief. To win without the  contribution of your usual match-winners must give the side a huge lift. 

Heinrich Klaasen is all class. He has been short of runs of late, but he raised his game in the last  match, scoring 42 off 26 balls.  

Abhishek has been very impressive throughout the tournament. He will play a huge role in this  upcoming clash. He has been hitting the balls with power and timing. He has been good at playing all different lengths. The bowlers are scratching their heads thinking where they bowl to  him. You bowl short, you get hit. You get full, you get hit. You bowl length, you get hit.  Abhishek has got command over all different lengths. He can hit them all for six and boundaries. 

With the ball, Bhuvneshwar has been outstanding in the powerplay. His wrist and seam position  has been perfect. Cummins has adapted to different bowling roles pretty well. He has opened  bowling at times but has majorly bowled in the middle overs. And what a player Nitish Reddy  has been. It is easy to focus on just the big names at SRH and forget Reddy. But the truth is that  he has made significant contributions when it has mattered the most. 

It is a big ask for someone like Vijayakanth Viyaskanth to come into the side in the last couple of  games and straightaway start delivering the goods. SRH have looked a light in the spin 

department and while we don’t know what the conditions will be like, the young leggie may have  a pivotal role to play in the remaining games. 

These are two fantastic sides to watch, and it is expected to be a close game. My gut feeling says  that SRH may have the last laugh on Tuesday night. My only concern with them is that if they  find themselves at 30 for 3 inside the powerplay, can they make a fightback from there. KKR, on  the other hand, have been in these situations before in the tournament and have done a good job  to recover from there. How SRH deal with this situation will be crucial for them.