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KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer has fired up his team ahead of the crucial IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 21. Iyer's Kolkata Knight Riders dominated the league stage, finishing atop the table with a whopping 20 points and an IPL-record Net Run Rate of 1.428. They were the first team to secure a playoff spot and remained comfortably in first place even with the last two matches rained out. This dominance wasn't built on individual heroics, but a strong team performance. The bowling attack has been a collective force, with five bowlers taking over 10 wickets each. Leading the pack is Varun Chakaravarthy, a strong contender for the Purple Cap with his impressive haul of 18 wickets.
In the lead-up to this big game, Iyer called on the fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium to bring their energy. He promised the team would put on a strong performance and won't settle for anything less than a win.
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Shreyas Iyer has his eyes set on IPL 2024 final
"We would be putting our best foot forward, hoping to give you the best experience. We want you to keep the stadium's atmosphere electrifying, the way you have been throughout, and just keep backing the players," Shreyas said in a Star Sports video.
Praising his team's composition, Iyer, the stylish Indian batsman, acknowledged himself as fortunate to lead such a well-balanced squad with a strong mix of overseas and domestic talent.
"All of them are unique in their own and they have immense experience in their career and the way they have played for their teams in the past few years is something that we all always cherish after the matches. I am lucky as a captain to have them in my team also the players who are currently part of the squad, we have got immense talent, skill and potential overall if you see," he added.
Wrapping up his speech, Iyer delivered a clear message: winning is the sole focus, nothing else matters.
"Three things that I am looking forward to is win, win and win," Shreyas concluded.
Earlier in the group stage at Eden Gardens when KKR locked horns with SRH, it was Shreyas Iyer's side who won the match by four runs. They set a challenging total of 208/7, powered by Phil Salt's explosive 40-ball 54 and a late cameo from Andre Russell (64 off 25). In reply, Harshit Rana's impressive 3/33 helped KKR hold off SRH despite a valiant knock from Heinrich Klaasen (63 off 29).
SRH will look to avenge their earlier defeat and settle score with KKR. Sunrisers Hyderabad will be bolstered by the return of in-form batsman Travis Head, who was missing in action during the previous clash. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders will have to find a way to fill the void left by Phil Salt's national duty, posing a selection dilemma for skipper Shreyas.
Talking about KKR versus SRH's head-to-head encounters in IPL, Knight Riders hold the upper hand against Hyderabad. In their 26 meetings, KKR have emerged victorious on 17 occasions, while Hyderabad have only managed to win 9.
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