Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) outclassed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by a commanding eight-wicket margin to secure their place in the final of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The showdown took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where KKR exhibited a top-notch performance, curtailing SRH’s formidable batting line-up to a modest total of 159. This achievement marked KKR’s fourth appearance in the IPL final, their first since the 2021 season.
The day commenced with SRH’s captain Pat Cummins winning the toss and opting to bat. Given SRH’s aggressive batting throughout the season, an explosive start was anticipated. The very first over, however, set a contrasting tone when Mitchell Starc, entrusted with the new ball, clean-bowled Travis Head on the second delivery. This early breakthrough gave KKR the upper hand straight away.
The powerplay experienced substantial drama. Battling to establish dominance, SRH was met with relentless aggression from KKR, focused on taking wickets. Amidst the turmoil, Rahul Tripathi emerged as SRH’s beacon of hope, fearlessly counter-attacking despite KKR’s intensified pressure. But while Tripathi persisted, his teammates succumbed. Abhishek Sharma was caught at cover by Andre Russell off Vaibhav Arora in the second over. In the fifth, Starc made further inroads, dismissing both Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed. By the fifth over mark, SRH had slumped to 39 for four.
A glimmer of hope shone for SRH when Heinrich Klaasen joined forces with Tripathi, adding 61 runs over six critical overs. Targeting Sunil Narine’s ninth over, Klaasen smashed a massive six, hoping to establish an aggressive stance. Tripathi also continued his onslaught, racing to a fifty off just 29 balls, reinvigorating SRH’s prospect for a competitive total.
The partnership, however, could not change the overall trajectory of SRH’s innings. Klaasen was caught by Rinku Singh at deep mid-wicket for 32, ending the threatening partnership. Abdul Samad entered with intent, hitting Narine for sizeable sixes, but a miscommunication led to Tripathi’s run-out for a well-played 55, leaving SRH vulnerable at 121 for six.
In the latter stages, captain Pat Cummins showed resilience by chipping in with 30 off 24 balls, guiding SRH past the 150-mark even as KKR continued making breakthroughs.
. Cummins’ late-innings aggression, including boundaries off the final deliveries from Starc, pushed SRH to 159. Starc finished with impressive figures of three for 34 and Varun Chakaravarthy supported well, being economical with two for 26. KKR’s comprehensive fielding effort complemented their bowling, creating vital opportunities.
In response, KKR’s chase was built on aggressive intent reminiscent of a high-target pursuit. The line-up tweak saw Rahmanullah Gurbaz opening with Narine. Gurbaz announced himself with a boundary off the second ball. Pat Cummins, coming in for the second over, faced immediate aggression with Narine and Gurbaz hitting boundaries. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan also faced the onslaught as KKR raced ahead. Natarajan, however, snagged the breakthrough, dismissing Gurbaz for 23 in his first over.
Venkatesh Iyer joined Narine and upheld the attacking momentum. With KKR already amassing 63 runs within the powerplay. Narine’s quick 21 ended as he found a fielder at deep square-leg. The stage was then shared by the Iyers – Shreyas and Venkatesh – who efficiently held the required rate in check while scoring freely.
SRH’s woes compounded as they lost reviews early and dropped key catches, missing opportunities to revert the game’s tide. Venkatesh Iyer demonstrated exceptional control by clearing the ropes, while Shreyas Iyer found his rhythm hitting boundaries effectively.
With victory in sight, Venkatesh blasted another mid-wicket six off Nitish Reddy, bringing up his half-century in 28 balls. Shreyas followed suit, smashing milestones with ease, reaching his fifty in just 23 balls. The KKR captain fittingly sealed the game with a lofted six over long-on, concluding the match emphatically in 13.4 overs. KKR’s dominant victory, with 38 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand, underscored their supremacy throughout the match.
As KKR gear up for the final, SRH remain in contention for a spot, set to face off against the winner of the Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals, offering them another shot at redemption and a place in the final.