IPL Final Match KKR vs SRH: IPL final a clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting and Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling

KKR bowlers vs SRH batters

It’s unwise to dub a cricket match a straightforward shootout between one set of bowlers and another bunch of batters, especially where two finalists of a prestigious competition are concerned. Like it or not, however, the Indian Premier League (IPL) climax, pitting Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is going to be a battle between the bowlers of the former and Hyderabad’s batters.

SRH are unquestionably the foremost batting force of this IPL. They did not fire every time, but they did so more often than not. Scores of 125 for no loss or 107 for one after six overs are illogical. So are those humongous totals that they have amassed this season. Be it Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen or Nitish Reddy, they have defied a few stereotypes and lifted high hitting of the cricket ball to another level.

Read: KKR vs SRH Final Live Score

This formidable force will come across a side which will formulate its strategy based on two spinners. Yes, Mitchell Starc will hurl a few into the discomfort zone of the batters. Those might hurt them also, but Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy will be the foremost fulcrums of the KKR attack. And, they will start afresh without taking into account what happened in Qualifier 1.

That match is history. SRH will throw what they have at a team which will also not take one step back. They will go at each other full tilt. It will be bitter and unpleasant. SRH have a respectable bowling line-up, mind you. Different types of fast bowlers and some tricky spinners. They will ask questions of the KKR batters. But how they negotiate the two spinners on a Chennai pitch known to assist slow bowlers will hold the key.

A lot of games are decided on what happens in the first six overs. It will be crucial in this final as well. For all their trickery, Narine and Chakaravarthy are not the best of operators in that phase of the game when SRH actually assert themselves and take the game away from the opposition. This is what they will try in the final as well.

There will hinge the possible outcome. Barring their exploits up front thanks to Narine and Phil Salt, who is not around, KKR’s other batters have not fired in the true sense of the word. So they will have to bank on bowling and then see what they get out of this bargain. Let us stick our neck out and look foolish? We will do that, and say that it’s between Hyderabad’s batting and KKR’s ability to prise out wickets.

In exclusive arrangement with RevSportz