The Indian Premier League 2024 will see KKR going up against SRH on Sunday, May 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Both sides have been the top two teams of the tournament as they finished the league stage on number one and two spots respectively. With two heavyweight teams set to go up against each other in the all-important final, there are several match-ups and head-to-head battles to look forward in the mouthwatering encounter.
While the IPL final day, will be special for players from both sides, one person from each team is going to relish it more as it coincides with the most special day of their lives. KKR’s Sunil Narine and SRH’s Nitish Kumar Reddy will be celebrating their birthday during the high-voltage clash and will be eager to bring their ‘A game’ to the fore to help their side clinch the coveted trophy.As far as experience is concerned, being a veteran of the game, 36-year-old Narine has the advantage of having played more finals than the 21-year-old Reddy. However, both players are in top form and have played an integral part in their team’s success.
Narine has once again accepted the opportunity of opening the innings with open arms and has wreaked havoc at the top of the order. The southpaw is the leading run scorer of the season for his team having scored 482 runs from 13 innings so far at an average of 37.07 and a strike rate of 179.85. The West Indies all-rounder also brought up his maiden IPL hundred this season against RR (109 off 56).
While his batting comes as a plus, the off-spinner also continued to bamboozle the batters with his variations having picked 16 wickets from 13 innings. On the other hand, playing just his second IPL season, Reddy has grabbed every opportunity that he’s got and performed for his side at crucial junctures throughout the season.
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Reddy has stepped up for SRH whenever required
The right-handed batter played a decent knock of 37 (27) against DC and picked up 2/17 with his handy right-arm seam. The Andhra Pradesh-born cricketer played his best knock of the season against RR as his phenomenal 76* (42) guided his team to 201/3 in 20 overs. Reddy played another hand knock of 37 (25) against PBKS in a run chase of 215.
Hence, having stellar performances to their names in the season so far, both players will play another crucial role in the big encounter. However, either of the two players is going to have a memorable birthday while the other is going to have a forgettable night. Who will rule the roost in the big encounter? The one who manages to hold his nerves and guides his team to clinch the coveted title.
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