Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stormed into the final of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The KKR bowlers set the stage by restricting SRH’s formidable batting line-up to a modest 159, before KKR’s top-order batsmen clinically dismantled the target, earning the team its fourth final appearance since the inception of the IPL, and its first since 2021.
On a critical day defined by pressure and high stakes, SRH captain Pat Cummins elected to bat first upon winning the toss. With fans eagerly anticipating another explosive performance from SRH’s dynamic batsmen, SRH commenced their innings with Mitchell Starc taking the new ball for KKR and precisely targeting Travis Head. The drama unfolded quickly as Starc sent Head back to the pavilion on the second ball by delivering a perfect delivery that breached his defenses.
The powerplay phase witnessed a battle of strategies—SRH’s intent to post an imposing total clashing with KKR’s relentless hunt for wickets. KKR’s bowlers played to their strengths, pushing SRH into a corner. Rahul Tripathi stood out as a beacon of hope for SRH, countering KKR’s incisive attack with aggressive strokes and aerial shots, seemingly determined to resurrect the innings. However, SRH lost three more crucial wickets rapidly. Abhishek Sharma’s attempt to drive went awry as he was caught brilliantly by Andre Russell at cover off Vaibhav Arora’s bowling in the second over. Starc returned to claim the wickets of Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed, both falling in quick succession in the fifth over. Nitish Reddy top-edged to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while Ahmed, in an attempt to play off his first delivery, chopped it onto his stumps, leaving SRH in turmoil at 39 for four.
At this juncture, it appeared SRH’s innings might collapse entirely, but a resilient partnership between Heinrich Klaasen and Tripathi revived hopes. The duo combined to add 61 runs over six overs, marking a significant recovery. Tripathi reached his half-century with a masterful reverse-sweep off Varun Chakaravarthy, emphasizing his skill and composure under pressure. As Narine returned in the ninth over, Klaasen showed no signs of intimidation, carting him for an 18-run over, including a massive six down the ground.
However, SRH’s renewed momentum wavered. Klaasen fell at deep mid-wicket, caught by Rinku Singh for a brisk 32, halting the rebuilding phase. Abdul Samad’s brief but impactful cameo included two towering sixes, signaling his aggressive intent. But tragedy struck in the form of a mix-up that led to Tripathi being run out for an invaluable 55.
. SRH found themselves teetering on 121 for six.
In the closing overs, it was only the SRH captain, Pat Cummins, who managed to find some consistency and momentum. Cummins’ 30 off 24 balls provided a semblance of a respectable finish, pushing SRH’s score past the 150-mark, despite wickets falling at regular intervals. His late flurry in the slog overs, including boundaries off Starc’s final deliveries, offered a marginally better total of 159 for SRH. Starc ended as the standout bowler with figures of three for 34, well supported by Chakaravarthy’s economical two for 26, and a commendable fielding effort from KKR.
In response, KKR began their chase as if they had a daunting target of over 200 in sight. Gurbaz and Narine came out with aggressive intent from the first ball. Gurbaz, who was featuring in his first match of the Tournament, immediately made his presence felt with a boundary off just the second ball. Cummins’ introduction into the attack was met with severe punishment as Narine and Gurbaz added quick runs. Narine’s early blitz included two boundaries off Cummins while Gurbaz lofted a top-edge six over third-man, signaling the aggressive approach KKR had adopted.
SRH managed to pick their first wicket in the fourth over when Gurbaz, attempting to clear cover, was caught for a brisk 23. However, that did little to halt KKR’s momentum. Venkatesh Iyer maintained the ferocious run rate, hammering SRH bowlers to all parts of the ground, and along with Sunil Narine, saw KKR to an imposing 63 in the powerplay. Narine fell for a quick 21, caught at deep square-leg off Cummins, yet the target was already well within KKR’s grasp.
Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer took over from there, orchestrating a masterful run chase. Despite SRH’s numerous attempts to break the partnership, including a few dropped catches and expended reviews, the Iyers combined to take KKR over the line. Venkatesh, reaching his half-century off 28 balls, set the tone with powerful sixes while Shreyas added his aggressive flair, reaching a fifty off just 23 deliveries.
The captain, Shreyas, fittingly sealed the victory with a colossal six, ensuring KKR’s win with 38 balls to spare and to firmly establish their dominance on the day. With this emphatic win, KKR secured their position in the final, leaving SRH to battle it out one more time against the winner of the Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals, for another chance to make it to the grand finale.