According to former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, Kolkata Knight Riders are the frontrunners to win the IPL 2024. KKR finished at the top of the league stage points table for the first time in their history. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the team secured their place in the final by convincingly defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in Qualifier 1.
Lee was also looking forward to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to do some wonders but they were knocked out in the Eliminator after a loss to RR. However, Lee emphasized that Kolkata, both on paper and in its current form, is a formidable team. The legendary pacer also bet the Kolkata side was the rightful contender for winning the competition.
“From the start, I had high hopes from RCB, so I was disappointed when they were eliminated last night. However, based on their current performance, KKR are a strong contender. In my opinion, KKR are the team most deserving of the top spot, as they have secured a direct path to the final, making them a tough team to beat,” Lee told ANI.
Former Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan highlighted that KKR has displayed greater reliability compared to RR. Despite finishing third in the league, RR faced setbacks by losing four of their last five games.
“In my opinion, Kolkata Knight Riders have performed consistently well throughout the IPL tournament. Rajasthan Royals also played good cricket, but their performance became shaky as the tournament progressed. However, KKR have been strong in all three areas – bowling, batting, and fielding. Based on their overall performance, I believe KKR are the likely winner of this year’s IPL,” he opined.
