An unexpected downpour cancelled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) final practice session ahead of their finale against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday (May 26) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Despite the covers, ground did manage to cover the fourth pitch which is likely the decided wicket for the final of the IPL 2024.


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The unexpected weather scene has created a buzz around the fans wondering what if rain plays spoilsport on the day of the final. However, there is no official forecast of rain for Sunday as low humidity is expected. In the worst case scenario, if rain washes out the final, the game will be shifted to Monday (May 27).


Former right-arm seamer Varun Aaron lauded Abhishek Sharma's bowling performance during the Qualifier 2 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League 2024 at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. (IPL 2024 Final: Head Vs Starc To Narine Vs Bhuvneshwar; Key Battles To Watch For)


After a day-off with the bat, the young Abhishek delivered a marvellous spell of spin bowling with the ball, picking up two crucial wickets to help his side secure a spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after a win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Chennai on Friday.


Abhishek had till this point, won acclaim with his six-hitting abilities and consistent hitting in powerplay overs. Showing why he is one of the future stars to look out for, Abhishek picked up the ball and got crucial wickets for RR skipper Sanju Samson and later hard-hitting Shimron Hetmyer with a stunning turning delivery as an opener who can chip in useful overs of spin. He is indeed a player worth paying attention to.


Speaking after the game at ESPNCricinfo's Time Out show, the former pacer asserted that Abhishek is a very good bowler. He is one of those bowlers, who tosses up deliveries a little more than the other bowlers. ('Yuvi Paji Said I Can Be A Better Bowler Than Him': SRH's Abhishek Sharma Following Match-Winning Spell Against RR)


"When I saw the starting XI, I knew he's [Abhishek] going to bowl today. He's a really good bowler. I've seen a lot of him in domestic cricket. He's one of those bowlers who tosses it up a little bit, more than the others. He bowls that carrom ball that comes out from the front of the hand, that was a really good ball. That shows he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and he's a full-time bowler for Punjab," Varun Aaron said on ESPNcricinfo.


 


SRH vs KKR Probable XIs


Probable XI: Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy [Impact substitute: Anukul Roy/Nitish Rana].


Probable XI:Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan [Impact substitute: Shahbaz Ahmed/Umran Malik].