Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, clinching the title with a commanding performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a thrilling final held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. In a poignant echo of their maiden title win at the same venue in 2012, KKR showcased their dominance to secure their third IPL trophy on May 26, 2024. The KKR bowlers were exceptional, holding the formidable SRH batting line-up to a mere 113 runs, a target that was comfortably chased down in only 10.3 overs with eight wickets to spare.
At the toss, KKR’s skipper Shreyas Iyer remarked that he would have preferred to bowl first—a decision that became a reality when SRH captain led his team to bat after winning the toss. It turned out to be a captain’s dream as KKR’s bowlers delivered an outstanding performance. Mitchell Starc, the Player of the Match from their previous encounter in Ahmedabad, once again led the charge with a brilliant display of fast bowling.
From the onset, it was clear that KKR had come prepared. Abhishek Sharma, who took the strike instead of Travis Head, faced the new ball bowled by Starc. The very first over signaled trouble for SRH as Starc showcased his form, culminating in one of the deliveries of the tournament. The fifth ball, pitched around the middle-stump, shaped exquisitely away to hit the top of off after having squared up the prolific opener. This excellent delivery set the tone and bolstered KKR’s start.
Vaibhav Arora continued the assault after the inspired start by Starc. As Travis Head faced his first ball, Arora managed to get it to move away, resulting in an edge that was easily caught by the wicketkeeper. With the score at 6 for 2, the pressure was on SRH as they experienced early setbacks with the dismissals of their feared opening pair.
Batting continued to be arduous for SRH as KKR’s opening bowlers persisted through the powerplay, making run-scoring a challenging endeavor. SRH managed their first boundary only in the third over, with Starc returning in the fifth over to dismiss Rahul Tripathi. Attempting a big shot, Tripathi skied the ball to mid-wicket, falling victim to the relentless KKR attack.
The only brief respite for SRH during the powerplay came when they managed to score 17 runs off Arora’s sixth over. Nitish Reddy even fetched SRH’s first six runs in that over, offering a glimmer of hope.
. However, the follow-up efforts from KKR bowlers like Andre Russell and Harshit Rana dashed those hopes as they claimed crucial wickets. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy provided economical spells, maintaining the sustained pressure.
Soon after the powerplay, Reddy was caught behind off a delivery from Rana. Russell then removed SRH captain Aiden Markram for 20 as he was caught at long-on by Starc. Shahbaz Ahmed’s innings was cut short when he was caught at short fine-leg off Chakaravarthy’s bowling. SRH’s plight worsened when Abdul Samad, their impact player, was caught behind off a delivery from Russell. The major blow came when Heinrich Klaasen was bowled by Rana in the 15th over, leaving SRH struggling to even cross the 100-run mark.
Pat Cummins, demonstrating resilience, fought hard to at least bring his team past three figures, finishing as SRH’s top-scorer with 24 runs. However, SRH’s innings ended in ironic fashion when Cummins, after being dropped earlier by Starc, was caught by the same bowler at long-on in the 19th over.
KKR’s run-chase began with an aggressive tone, as Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit the second ball for a four through point. Cummins came on to bowl the second over, but Narine smashed the first ball over mid-wicket for a six. Although Narine was caught on the leg-side on the next attempt to clear the ground, any early jitters for KKR dissipated quickly. Venkatesh Iyer then took over, hitting two sixes and a four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, signaling KKR’s intent.
KKR accelerated quickly, notching up fifty runs inside five overs. Venkatesh Iyer was particularly aggressive, while Gurbaz remained steady. The last over of the powerplay, bowled by T Natarajan, yielded three fours and a six, propelling KKR to 72 for one at the end of six overs.
With the powerplay complete, Gurbaz shifted gears as the spinners came on, pushing KKR past the 100-run mark inside nine overs. Although Gurbaz was eventually dismissed for 39, the team cruised towards victory, with the Iyer brothers steering them to the finish line. Venkatesh Iyer completed his half-century off only 24 balls, hitting the winning runs in the next over. Jubilant KKR players stormed the field to celebrate their third IPL title, marking another historic win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.