KKR vs SRH IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 tip-off XI: Gurbaz set to open for KKR, Tripathi to bat at 3 for SRH, powerplay to decide match result

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 Playing 11: The template of both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been quite similar in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). Both teams have made their way to the playoffs by outmuscling their opponents.

The winner of the match will qualify directly to the final, while the loser will have to play Qualifier 2. KKR and SRH will get only a day’s time to traverse thousands of kilometres and get here for the first half of the playoffs as they both featured on the final day of the league round on Sunday.

Here are a few tip-offs ahead of the KKR vs SRH game

Rahmanullah Gurbaz to open with Sunil Narine

The washed-out contest against Rajasthan Royals in particular robbed KKR of an opportunity to give expected replacement Rahmanullah Gurbaz a go at the top with Sunil Narine, something that would have settled a few concerns certainly. He will be replacing Phil Salt at the top, who has left the KKR camp for national duties with England ahead of the T20 World Cup. Salt (435 runs) had forged a devastating partnership with Sunil Narine (461) at the top and KKR immensely benefited from their ultra-aggressive approach with the bat.

Rahul Tripathi to bat at 3

Rahul Tripathy has played only three games in this year’s competition. However, right before the playoffs in their last league match agaijst Punjab Kings, the 33-year-old scored a nonchalant 18-ball 33. SRH lost Travis Head in the first ball and it provided Rahul Tripathi the chance and he grabbed it with both hands. He scored a brisk cameo but perhaps after having made the No. 3 spot his own for the playoffs, ahead of Mayank Agarwal.

Win the powerplay, win the match

Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders batter Sunil Naraine and Phil Salt during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Friday, April 26, 2024.(PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)

The IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad could be decided by the might of the openers and the Powerplay batting. With the scoring rates surging to a record high this season, KKR and SRH have stood at the forefront of the batting revolution led by their deadly opening pairs during the league stage. While Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma bludgeoned the opposition bowlers up top for Hyderabad, Sunil Narine and Phil Salt formed a successful attacking pair for Kolkata.

Here’s the predicted playing XIs

KKR predicted XI: Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana

Impact player: Varun Chakravarthy

SRH predicted XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth,

Impact player: T Natarajan

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