Pietersen highlighted that SRH faltered under pressure due to a series of poor decisions made by Pat Cummins.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed his confidence in Kolkata Knight Riders to secure their third IPL title. He believes that they are the favorites to win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming summit clash on Sunday. Kolkata Knight Riders have already emerged victorious against Sunrisers twice this season, first during the league stage and more recently in the qualifier 1. The Purple Army concluded the league stage at the top of the table, having only suffered three defeats this season.
During qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad, the Sunrisers Hyderabad failed to put up a fight against the Kolkata Knight Riders and lost the one-sided battle. As a result, they will now feel added pressure in the final as they attempt to overcome the ghosts of their recent past.
Former cricketer Kevin Pietersen highlighted that SRH succumbed under pressure, particularly due to Pat Cummins making a series of poor decisions. These errors allowed KKR to dominate the tie in Ahmedabad.
"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 on Star Sports.
In 2016, Hyderabad emerged victorious in the IPL under the leadership of David Warner. Now, it is Pat Cummins' turn to follow in his countryman's footsteps. The Sunrisers Hyderabad team made a significant investment of INR 20.5 crore in Cummins during the IPL 2024 auction. This decision was influenced by Cummins' recent successes in leading Australia to victory in the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. Winning the IPL title would further solidify his reputation as a successful captain.
"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," he added.
Also read| IPL 2024 Final KKR vs SRH: How much prize money winner and runners-up will get?
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 "'Didn't like the way....': Kevin Pietersen slams Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of mega IPL 2024 final")
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