- May 25, 2024
IPL 2024 final: Four unmissable facts headlined by rare chance of an Australian hat-trick | Cricket News – Times of India
KKR topped the points table in the league stage and then defeated second-placed SRH in Qualifier 1 to reach the final. The Hyderabad team had another shot at entering the final via Qualifier 2, where they met Rajasthan Royals (RR) who had ousted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator.
IPL 2024 STANDINGS: Orange Cap | Purple Cap
SRH won Qualifier 2 on Friday by 36 runs to fix a date in the ‘final’ with KKR.
Heading into the title clash to be held at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, here are four interesting facts about the final:
1. Cummins can complete a rare hat-trick
If the Sunrisers go on to win the trophy, Pat Cummins will become the third Australian player to win the IPL title as captain of a franchise from Hyderabad. Adam Gilchrist was the first to do so when he lifted the trophy as skipper of the erstwhile Deccan Chargers in 2009, followed by David Warner’s triumphant 2016 title-winning SRH squad.
2. Two most costliest players in IPL Final
The IPL players’ auction ahead of the 2024 season saw two record-breaking deals. By shelling out INR 20.50 crore, SRH paid the highest price ever for a player in the history of the tournament. But the record was shortlived as KKR emptied their pockets soon after to bag Cummins’s Australia teammate and fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc for INR 24.75 crore. Both will feature in the final on Sunday.
3. No player from India’s T20 World Cup squad in IPL Final
Had RR or RCB made it to the final, the title-deciding game on Sunday would have featured some players from India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad. But the two finalists, KKR and SRH, have no players among those who will represent India at the showpiece T20 tournament to be played from June 2 to 29 in the US and West Indies.
RCB have Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj from India’s T20 World Cup sqaud, while RR have Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yuzvendra Chahal, besides the standby Avesh Khan.
4. No new champion this year
The IPL won’t get a new champion in terms of a maiden title. Both SRH and KKR are former champions, with Sunrisers clinching the trophy in 2016 and Kolkata emerging winners in 2012 and 2014. Among the four teams that finished in the playoffs bracket in this edition, RCB were the only one to have never won the IPL. Rajasthan became the champions in the league’s inaugural edition in 2008.
