Presently final yr, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had been within the technique of zealously fine-tuning their plans for the Indian Premier League (IPL) last.
Proper by way of the summer time of 2024, they’d stamped their imprints by producing some riveting cricket, and had been absolutely deserving of a shot on the grand prize at a floodlit M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Minimize to the current, the scenario is distinctly completely different.
At seventh and eighth within the 10-team desk, they’re laggards whose forlorn destiny within the event was sealed lengthy earlier than the fruits of the league section.
They may face one another on the Arun Jaitley Stadium in a contest of no consequence on Sunday.
Each groups have been let down by their batting departments. In KKR’s case, the truth that skipper Ajinkya Rahane is the one one with greater than 300 runs paints a sorry image.
Throughout the course of this season, the crew was shot out for 116 versus Mumbai Indians, and did not chase down 112 towards Punjab Kings.
For SRH, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan did smash scintillating centuries that had been answerable for Pat Cummins’ males racking up the season’s two largest totals – 286 for six whereas batting first towards Rajasthan Royals and 247 for 2 in a triumphant chase towards PBKS.
However past these glimpses of particular person brilliance, the consistency wanted collectively to sew collectively a playoff-entering run was lacking.
Introspection over their inadequacies is sure to observe. However earlier than that, they may search to shut out a disappointing season on a profitable be aware.