KKR vs SRH Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 match?

Is it any surprise that these two teams finished in the top-two at the end of the league stage of IPL 2024? The Kolkata Knight Riders breezed through without any issues, while the SunRisers Hyderabad needed to rely on some washouts and a late Rajasthan Royals collapse to make Qualifier 1.

Nevertheless, they are now here. Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma are right up there when it comes to any IPL 2024 statistic - MVP award, most sixes, most fours, most runs and highest strike rate, to name a few. Thanks to their batting powerplays, KKR and SRH have made it this far.

That isn't the only facet of their game, though. Kolkata have two world-class spinners in Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, with the likes of Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora supporting them well. Pat Cummins has led Hyderabad's bowling attack well, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar has supported him alongside T Natarajan.

The two teams' meeting in the league stage feels like an alternate universe. SRH didn't play Travis Head, with KKR triumphing despite a Heinrich Klaasen blitz, thanks to a terrific final over from Harshit Rana.

Things are different now, and the stakes are different too, and both teams know that. Which side will book their spot in the IPL 2024 final?

---

IPL 2024, KKR vs SRH Win Probability: Knight Riders seek to reach yet another final

Shreyas Iyer has led his team well [Image Courtesy: iplt20.com]

On the whole, SRH have plenty of firepower in their batting department. The likes of Abdul Samad and Nitish Kumar Reddy have complemented the big guns well. Nevertheless, will they be able to cope with the potential dismissals of Abhishek, Head and Klaasen?

KKR have penetration in their bowling attack. Although Abhishek has an excellent head-to-head record against Narine, the West Indian will fancy his chances against the other batters in the opposition. If Kolkata can see the back of Head early, they could put serious pressure on a middle order that isn't quite rock-solid.

The Knight Riders, meanwhile, have fewer concerns despite Salt's absence. Rahmanullah Gurbaz might be rusty, but he's a quality player. KKR also have so many options in the middle order that they can afford to sustain their high-octane approach throughout the game.

There's no rain on the forecast, which means Ahmedabad could provide another dew-heavy contest that sees the team batting second have a significant advantage. If SRH chase, they might be the favorites to upset the table-toppers and enter the summit clash.

However, taking the flip of the coin out of the equation, KKR have more bases covered and aren't as reliant on a few big names to deliver in the goods. Anything can happen in a knockout game between two world-class teams, but Shreyas Iyer might just be the happier captain at the end of Qualifier 1.

Prediction: KKR to win Qualifier 1 of IPL 2024