Shane Watson hands out 'favourite' tag as KKR meet SRH in IPL 2024 final: 'Gives Sunrisers edge for sure...'

Shane Watson has predicted the winner of the IPL 2024 final between SRH and KKR.

Shreyas Iyer's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to battle for Indian Premier League (IPL) supremacy with Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the summit clash of the cash-rich tournament on Sunday. Gunning for their third IPL crown, Gautam Gambhir-mentored Knight Riders hammered Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2024 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Will history repeat itself in Chennai? Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has predicted the winner of the IPL 2024 final.

KKR or SRH, who will win IPL 2024 final? Shane Watson has predicted the winner(AFP)

A Mitchell Starc bowling masterclass followed by Iyer's batting blitz sealed the direct entry of the Knight Riders with the eight-wicket win over Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 playoffs. Veteran Australian pacer Starc sparked a top-order collapse by removing Travis Head, Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in the powerplay. Leading the KKR side from the front, premier batter Iyer shared a match-winning partnership with in-form Venkatesh Iyer to help KKR enter their fourth IPL final.

After losing the Qualifier 1 at the IPL 2024 playoffs, Cummins' SRH side bounced back by outclassing former champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Sunrisers will meet KKR in the IPL 2024 final at the same venue. Even though Watson feels SRH have an edge over KKR, the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder feels Iyer and Co. are favourites to lift the famous trophy at Chepauk.

Fresh as a daisy! KKR are Watson's favourites

"It gives Sunrisers an edge for sure as they know how the wicket plays, especially when there is no dew. They will have to back-up, and regenerate their mental and physical energy quickly, but for me, KKR are the favourites. They are fresh as a daisy; they have got world-class players through their team, and they are going to be very hard to defeat," Watson told Jio Cinema.

KKR vs SRH: IPL rivalry

Two-time champions KKR have played 27 matches against SRH in the IPL. While Kolkata have defeated Hyderabad on 17 occasions, Cummins' SRH side has outclassed KKR nine times in the cash-rich league. Regarding the head-to-head record, SRH and KKR have two wins each at the IPL 2024 playoffs. Kolkata have emerged victorious over Hyderabad in their last two meetings.