Kolkata: As the 2024 IPL season draws to a close, two underwhelming sides — KKR and SRH — will clash in a dead rubber at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. Once contenders for the crown, both teams now find themselves languishing near the bottom of the table, with only pride and a slight boost on the points table to play for. Through the summer, both franchises showed flashes of promise. SRH made headlines with mammoth totals — 286 for six against Rajasthan Royals and a 247-run chase versus Punjab Kings. KKR too had their moments, but ultimately, inconsistency and a faltering middle-order saw them fall well short of expectations. They currently sit seventh and eighth in the standings, their playoff hopes extinguished well before the league stage concluded.
Batting failures have marred KKR’s campaign. Ajinkya Rahane stands out as the sole batter to cross 300 runs for the season — a stark reflection of the unit’s struggles. Their lowest points included being bundled out for 116 by Mumbai Indians and failing to chase a modest 112 against Punjab Kings. Meant to be among the most explosive line-ups, KKR finished with the lowest runs per wicket at 20.8. When Andre Russell and Rinku Singh found form, the damage had already been done. SRH, despite a few standout performances, suffered from a lack of collective consistency. Their top- order brilliance couldn’t mask the side’s recurring issues in the middle and lower-order. With nothing but a better finish at stake, SRH will aim to close out on a high. Form favours SRH going into the contest. They’ve recently dispatched RCB by 42 runs, notch a sixth consecutive win over SRH.