The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has its final challenger decided. On Saturday (May 24), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 36 runs in the Qualifier-2 match played at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium. The final clash will now see Sunrisers Hyderabad go head-to-head against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Kolkata carved its path to the final by defeating Hyderabad. The grand finale is scheduled for May 26 (Sunday) at the same venue.
The Coincidence of the Final Match
With Sunrisers Hyderabad's entry into the finals, an incredible coincidence has arisen. Not a single player from India's T20 World Cup 2024 team will participate in the IPL 2024 final match. KKR's team includes Rinku Singh, but Rinku has been included only as a reserve player for the T20 World Cup. He is not part of the 15-member Indian team.
If Rajasthan Royals had made it to the finals, the situation could have been different. Rajasthan's three players - Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Yuzvendra Chahal are part of India's T20 World Cup team. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), which lost the eliminator match, has two players in the World Cup team - Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav are part of Mumbai Indians (MI). As Mumbai finished at the bottom, they were already out of contention. Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja are part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who missed the playoffs. Similarly, Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings) and the stars such as Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Rishabh Pant (all three from Delhi Capitals) could not make it to the playoff matches.
Source: aajtak
Looking at the teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, along with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT), failed to have any of their players selected for the 15-member Indian squad for the World Cup. Nonetheless, both teams were already eliminated from the playoff race.
The upcoming T20 World Cup is set to be played from June 1 to June 29 in the USA and West Indies. The Indian cricketers are departing for the T20 World Cup in two batches. The majority of Indian cricketers and support staff are set to depart from Mumbai to New York on May 25 for the World Cup. A few players will leave for the USA on May 27. Initially, it was reported that the first batch would leave for the USA on May 21, but the schedule has been adjusted.
India's team for the T20 World Cup 2024 is placed in Group A alongside Ireland, Pakistan, the USA, and Canada. India's first three group matches will be played in New York. India will face Ireland in its opener on June 5, followed by a high-voltage clash with Pakistan on June 9. The team's third group game is against the USA on June 12, and their final group encounter is set against Canada in Florida on June 15.
India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj.
Reserves:
Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed.
India’s group for the T20 World Cup 2024:
Group A- India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA Group B- England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman Group C- New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea Group D- South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal
Full schedule of the T20 World Cup's 55 matches:
The schedule goes on listing the full itinerary of the exciting matches set to take place, emphasizing the anticipation for the key clashes and the high stakes involved in this global cricket extravaganza.
