KKR vs SRH Final: What happened when Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad played each other earlier in IPL 2024?

While KKR secured its final spot by winning the first qualifier, SRH defeated Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier to win a place in the last game of 2024 season.

KKR captain Shreyas Iyer (2R) with Venkatesh Iyer (2L) is congratulated by his SRH counterpart Pat Cummins (R) after their team’s win in Qualifier 1. | Photo Credit: PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP

Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to bring home a third IPL title as it takes on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

While KKR secured its final spot by winning the first qualifier, SRH defeated Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier to win a place in the last game of 2024 season.

Here is what happened when the two sides met earlier in the season:

KKR vs SRH - March 23 (league stage)

The first time these two sides met was early in the league stage, with the match happening at the Eden Gardens.

KKR emerged victorious in a high-scoring thriller, with its star all-rounder Andre Russell playing a leading role.

Andre Russell celebrates a boundary with Rinku Singh against SRH. | Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR

The home side was floundering at 119/6 in the 14th over, after it was asked to bat. But Russell, along with Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh lifted KKR past the 200-run mark with some breathtaking power hitting.

SRH’s chase never took off until Heinrich Klaasen decided to up the ante late in the game. With 39 runs needed off the last two overs, Klaasen pummelled Mitchell Starc for 26 runs.

But KKR pacer Harshit Rana managed to defend 13 runs off the last over to gift his side a big win, which set the ball rolling for a dominant season.

KKR vs SRH - May 21 (Qualifier 1)

KKR was on the winning side again when the two sides met, this time in the first qualifier of the tournament, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

KKR’s win this time was a much more comfortable one, with Shreyas Iyer’s men cantering home to an eight-wicket win with 38 balls remaining.

Kolkata Knight Riders Mitchell Starc and team players celebrate the wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI/The Hindu

KKR’s win was built on a stupendous bowling performance led by left-arm quick Starc, who wrecked the SRH batting order with figures of 3/34.

SRH stumbled its way to 159 in the first innings, which was hunted down with ease by KKR, thanks to fifties from from Shreyas and Venkatesh Iyer.