After 73 riveting clashes over the course of more than two months, comprising record-breaking totals, sensational wickets and superb fielding efforts, IPL 2024 is finally down to the final match where Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday for the elusive title. Both KKR and SRH had finished top of the table respectively in the league stage.

Kolkata finished top of the IPL 2024 points table with nine wins in 14 matches. They then defeated Sunrisers in Qualifier 1 earlier this week at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to reach their fourth IPL final. They had previously lifted the trophy in 2012 and 2014 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and lost to Chennai Super Kings in the 2021 final. With Gambhir back in the KKR side, as a mentor, they once again made the final after scripting two back-to-back forgettable seasons where Kolkata finished seventh.

Sunrisers, on the other hand, won eight matches and lost five to finish second in the points table. Although they lost to Kolkata in the first playoff game, they bounced back strongly to beat Rajasthan Royals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, by 36 runs, to reach the final. This will be their third IPL final, having earlier won in 2016 under David Warner, before losing to CSK in 2018, and first appearance in the summit clash after six years.

Ahead of the big game in Chennai, Sunrisers cancelled their practice session for the final and opted for a much-needed rest day amid the humidity in the city, having only played at the venue on Friday. Meanwhile, the Gambhir-inspired KKR side did not just practice on Friday, but will also hold a net session on Saturday evening between 6 PM to 9 PM IST.

KKR indulging in intense practice sessions ahead of the final is due to a lack of game time. In the last two weeks, they played just one match, as both their final two league games—against Gujarat Titans on May 13 and Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on May 19—were abandoned due to rain. Prior to the Qualifier 1 tie against SRH, their last IPL match was against Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 11.

This will be the third time KKR will face SRH in IPL 2024. They also faced each other in their campaign openers on March 23 at the Eden Gardens where KKR had emerged victoriously, winning by just 4 runs.

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