IPL 2024 Final: Head Vs Starc To Narine Vs Bhuvneshwar; Key Battles To Watch For

KKR will face SRH in the final of IPL 2024 season at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday (May 26).

SRH have struggled in the death overs this season, conceding runs at a rate of 11.98 in the last four overs. However, T Natarajan has been a standout performer, taking 19 wickets overall. The Tamil Nadu pacer will be crucial in the final, as he will need to contain KKR’s destructive Andre Russell, who has a strike rate of 185 in IPL 2024.

Heinrich Klaasen has been SRH's most crucial batter in the middle overs, scoring 463 runs at a strike rate of 176.04. The South African has been particularly effective against spinners this season, boasting a strike rate of 189.47 with only six dismissals. However, in the final, Klaasen will face KKR's Varun Chakravarthy, who has taken 20 wickets this season and dismissed Klaasen in Qualifier 1.

Sunil Narine has been a key player for KKR this season, scoring 482 runs with a strike rate of 168.71 in the powerplay. However, he faces a challenge against Hyderabad pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The Indian veteran has dismissed Narine twice in their 10 IPL encounters. More significantly, Narine's strike rate against Bhuvneshwar is only 110.71.

SRH opener Travis Head has been a powerhouse in the powerplay, amassing 402 of his 567 runs in the first six overs at an incredible strike rate of 209.37, making him the third-best batter in the powerplay this season. However, he was dismissed for a duck by Mitchell Starc in Qualifier 1, following another clean bowled dismissal by Punjab Kings’ Arshdeep Singh, both of whom are left-arm pacers.