KKR vs SRH: "Really hard for Sunrisers Hyderabad to..." - Kevin Pietersen slams Pat Cummins ahead of final
Published - 26 May 2024, 04:02 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:12 AM
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen feels that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be the favorites to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Kevin Pietersen criticized SunRisers Hyderabad's performance in the 'Qualifier 1' match against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Shreyas Iyer-led team has defeated the Pat Cummins-led team twice in the Indian Premier League 2024 season. The Purple Army recorded victory in the league stage and again in the recent Qualifier 1 match. The Kolkata-based team topped the league stage, suffering only three defeats so far this season.
The two-time IPL champions recorded a comfortable 8-wicket victory over Hyderabad in the playoff stage. The KKR bowlers restricted the Hyderabad team to 159 runs in 19.3 overs. The Knight Riders chased down the target with 38 balls to spare, with half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer.
It'll Give KKR A Lot Of Confidence Going Into The Finals - Kevin Pietersen
Speaking on Star Sports, Kevin Pietersen criticized SRH for succumbing to pressure in their recent match against KKR. Pietersen highlighted that Pat Cummins' decisions allowed KKR to dominate the game in Ahmedabad. He stated that the victory would boost KKR's confidence for the final match.
"I didn't like the way the Sunrisers threw in the towel the other evening in Ahmedabad, and I think it's going to put them on the back foot for the start on Sunday. The way they just finished that game off, Pat Cummins gave Travis Head the ball, and Shreyas Iyer just went bang, bang, bang. It'll give KKR a lot of confidence going into the finals knowing that they've already beaten SRH a couple of days ago," Pietersen said.
Hyderabad clinched the IPL title in 2016 under David Warner's captaincy. SRH finished at the bottom of the table last season. The team management invested a significant sum of Rs 20.5 crore in Cummins during the IPL 2024 auction. Cummins guided the team to the final in his first season as captain.
They Know How To Win - Kevin Pietersen
The former England skipper stated that it would be really hard for the Sunrisers to perform in the final. Kevin Pietersen mentioned that the Sunrisers secured back-to-back titles in the first two seasons of the SA20, stating that they know how to win.
"So it's going to be really hard for the Sunrisers to get up, but I think they will because they won the SA20, so they know how to win. They've got a structure that knows how to win, and when you've got that belief within the franchise, that belief within the ownership, then momentum has its own way. I'm actually very, very happy that SRH got into the final just because of what they've done for the game of cricket in the last eight to nine weeks. I think it is absolutely right that the Sunrisers are in this final," Pietersen added.
The Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. The Kolkata team aims to win their third trophy, while Hyderabad bids for their second title in the IPL.
