Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad will aim to clinch their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, when they face each other in the finals of the tournament here at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium today.
Earlier, RCB secured the final berth following their four-wicket win over Gujarat Lions in the Qualifier 1, while Sunrisers booked their place after first beating Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator and then the Gujarat-based franchise in the Qualifier 2.
RCB, who made a poor start to the tournament, later went on to build up considerable momentum by winning seven out of last eight games they have played.
The credit for the team’s spirited comeback goes to skipper Virat Kohli and prolific batsman AB de Villiers, who brought fearsome form into the contest.
Kohli (109) and De Villiers (129) also recorded the highest partnership (229) in Twenty20 cricket history during their massive 144-run win over Gujarat Lions earlier this month.
The ninth edition of the IPL finals will see Kohli, who is 81 runs away from scoring 1000 runs, bid to become the first batsman to reach the four-figure landmark in a single season.
Unlike RCB who will play their third IPL final, Sunrisers Hyderabad will head into their maiden final buoying by the confidence of having won two knockout matches to reach this stage.
