OC's IPL Match Prediction Today: IPL 2024 KKR vs SRH, Who Will Win Today's Qualifier 1?

Shreyas Iyer and Pat Cummins during toss in Match 3 of IPL 2024 [iplt20.com]

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) has reached its business end. It is time for the Qualifier 1 of the tournament. The Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in this game. The match will be at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 21st at 7:30 PM IST. 

The Knight Riders have been a force to reckon with in the tournament, showcasing their prowess and winning most of the crucial stages in the games. Their stellar performance has earned them the top spot in the league stage. Led by the dynamic Shreyas Iyer, they are determined to maintain their winning momentum and secure a spot in the summit clash.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, have come up with the most entertaining brand of cricket in IPL 2024. After a brilliant start to the tournament, there was a dip in their momentum. However, with a few results going in their favour, SRH have finished second in the points table. They are coming into this game on the back of a convincing victory against PBKS. SRH will try to ride on the momentum and make it to the grand finale of IPL 2024.

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Narendra Modi Stadium IPL Records Ahead Of Qualifier 1, KKR Vs SRH

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How has the Narendra Modi Stadium's pitch behaved?

The wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium has provided something for all the players. In the first few matches, it helped the bowlers. But in the last couple of games played here, the batters have enjoyed the surface and scored plenty of runs. Here is a look at the average stats in the different phases of the game at the venue.

KKR vs SRH: Predicted Toss Result

Narendra Modi Stadium, in general, favours the chasing side. KKR, with a good batting depth and being a chase favouring side, will field first on winning the toss. 

However, SRH might go against the venue trend and look to bat first on winning the toss. They have defended a target better and might look to favour their strengths in a knockout match. 

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IPL 2024, KKR Vs SRH Head To Head Record

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KKR vs SRH: Important Player Battles

Sunil Narine vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Predicted Outcome - Sunil Narine has been a nightmare for most of the bowlers in the tournament. However, stats show that Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the upper hand over the Trinidadian. This is a face-off we expect to see in this game, and the Indian pacer will probably get the better of the KKR maverick. 

Heinrich Klaasen vs Varun Chakravarthy

Predicted Outcome - Heinrich Klaasen's form in the middle order has been crucial to SRH's success this season. A lot will depend on the South African in this game. We can expect that Klaasen will be facing Chakrvarthy in the game, and the stats indicate that he might get the better of the Indian spinner.

KKR vs SRH: Weakness of the teams

Kolkata Knight Riders

New opening combination

The dynamic and blazing starts given by Phil Salt and Sunil Narine have been one of the KKR team's biggest strengths in this tournament. However, with Salt leaving for national duties, KKR will have to find a new opening combination. If Narine and his new partner fail to maintain momentum at the start, the rhythm of the whole team might get upset. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad

The chasing conundrum

The SRH batting, especially their top order, has been a nightmare to most of the opposition in the tournament. However, when asked to chase big totals, the powerful batting line-up has failed to deliver. In a playoff contest, this might be a concern for the team.

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KKR vs SRH: Strengths of the teams

Kolkata Knight Riders

Dependable bowling attack

It is often said that bowlers win you tournaments; the current KKR side is the most prominent example of this. The collective effort of the KKR bowling team has been outstanding. The team has used six bowlers in the tournament; four have 15 or more wickets, while five have crossed the 10-wicket mark. This exceptional effort has allowed the team to pick up wickets at all stages of a game and create pressure on the opposition. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Batting powerhouse

The Sunrisers Hyderabad have a dynamic and powerful batting line-up. The top four have a strike rate of over 150, allowing them to post mammoth totals and bat the opposition out of the matches. SRH will depend the most on their batters to bail them out of Qualifier 1. 

KKR vs SRH: Today's Match Prediction

KKR vs SRH: Predicted Score

Predicted first innings score: 190-205

Predicted second innings score: 200-210

Predicted Result: Kolkata Knight Riders are the favourites to win this game.