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Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has opted to cancel their practice session on Saturday ahead of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, SRH made the decision to give their players a rest day after playing their last game on Friday. The team will now head directly into the summit clash on Sunday without any further practice.
SRH defeated Rajasthan Royals comprehensively in Qualifier 2 to book their berth in the final against KKR at the Chepauk Stadium. With Chennai experiencing high temperatures and humidity, the decision was reportedly taken to keep the players fresh and avoid any potential injuries.
On the other hand, KKR last played on Tuesday when they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1. The Shreyas Iyer-led side has had a longer break before the final and held a practice session on Friday. They are expected to hold another net session on Saturday evening.
KKR's last two league matches against Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals were abandoned due to rain, and the lack of match practice could have been a factor in their decision to hold additional practice sessions.
Meanwhile, SRH captain Pat Cummins expressed his delight at the team's big win over RR in Qualifier 2 and praised the performance of his bowlers.
Cummins said, 'The boys have been fantastic all season. There's a great vibe in the squad as you can see and the final was the goal at the start of the season and we made it. We knew our strength was our batting and we wouldn't underestimate the experience we have in this squad, it's a dream having Bhuvi, Nattu, and Unadkat, makes my job easy.'
Cummins also revealed that the decision to bring Shahbaz Ahmed as an impact player was made by head coach Dan Vettori.
He added, '[on Abhishek's bowling] That was a surprise, tried to stick one out of him with a couple of right-handers and he bowled beautifully and those two won it with their bowling in the middle overs. 170 was a tough chase and had we got a couple of wickets we knew we had a chance. I will never pretend to work out the pitch and conditions ever, different every week. It is for the whole franchise, probably 60 or 70 of them who put their heart and soul into this and hopefully one more left.'
SRH will be hoping to carry their momentum from Qualifier 2 into the final and secure their second IPL title. KKR, on the other hand, will be looking to win their third IPL trophy and add to their impressive record in the tournament.
Source: SRH Take Massive Decision Ahead Of IPL 2024 Final Against KKR In Chennai