IPL 2024 Qualifier 1: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Best Bets

The stage is set for the all-important Qualifier 1 of the 2024 IPL season between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. KKR come into this game in fantastic form, while SRH have proven to be a formidable force, riding high on momentum with three massive scores over 260 this season, showcasing their explosive batting prowess. Let’s look at the best bets for this crucial encounter.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium

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Kolkata Knight Riders hold a dominant 17/9 head-to-head lead over the Sunrisers, having won seven of their last nine encounters. Despite leading the table with nine wins this season, Kolkata’s recent form has been marred by two consecutive washouts, which resulted in no play. Most of their victories (six out of nine) came while batting first, including a dramatic one-run triumph over Punjab. The enforced break has delayed the announcement of a replacement for Phil Salt, their top performer in the powerplay.

Kolkata’s overall performance has been impressive, boasting 90 wickets and maintaining a run rate of 10.63 runs per over, outpacing the league’s average of 9.61. Sunil Narine has been a standout, scoring 461 runs and taking 15 wickets with an economical rate of 6.63 runs per over. However, Narine has struggled with the bat in Ahmedabad, recording three ducks, though his bowling remains effective with seven wickets at an average of 17.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, has excelled with the bat, posting an average total of 186, second only to Bengaluru. While their opening batsmen have been pivotal, Travis Head’s recent form is worrying, with three low scores in his last six innings, including a golden duck in the previous game.

The Sunrisers head into this clash with a mixed recent record of three wins and three losses from their last six completed games, plus a recent washout. They are second in the standings with eight wins, securing a playoff spot and a chance to advance to the final should they lose against Kolkata and win their subsequent playoff game against the winner of the Bengaluru vs. Rajasthan match.

These is an intriguing contest between two of the best teams this season, which makes it difficult to predict but we’re going the slight underdogs, KKR to win.

Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders to win at 1.95.

Key Battle: Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma is in great form following his 66 in Hyderabad’s previous fixture and has a strike rate of 209 for the season. He may have to contend with Andre Russell, though, who has 2/11 from nine balls bowled against Abhishek and holds a tally of 15 wickets this season. 

Key Stats

Hyderabad scored the most powerplay runs in 11 of their 13 games this season.

Kolkata have recorded the highest opening partnership in five of their last eight matches. 

The pre-match outsider won the last six completed games in Ahmedabad. 

Kolkata struck the most sixes in each of their last four games. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has miserly head-to-head figures of 2/28 from 25 balls bowled to Sunil Narine. 

Sunil Narine has just 71 runs from nine innings in IPL playoffs matches at an average of 10.14.

Bhuvneshwar is the leading powerplay wicket-taker of this season with ten scalps (7.53rpo).

T Natarajan was smashed for 1/43 from 26 balls bowled to Andre Russell. 

Varun Chakravarthy has 0/29 from just 12 balls bowled to Heinrich Klaasen, who averages more than 50 against Kolkata’s last bowling attack. 

Venkatesh Iyer scored half-centuries in two of his three playoff matches.

Best Bet: Sunrisers Hyderabad to score highest runs in 1st 6 overs at 1.80.

Value Bet: Abhishek Sharma to score 50+ runs at 3.75.

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