In a dazzling display of all-round cricket, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) claimed their third TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) title by thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2024 final. The high-stakes match took place at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 26, 2024. This remarkable victory resonates even more as it brings back memories of their maiden title win at the same venue in 2012.
Upon winning the toss, SRH elected to bat first, a decision that seemed promising initially but soon proved to be their undoing. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer revealed that his team would have preferred to bowl first, demonstrating his confidence in his bowling attack. His trust was repaid spectacularly by KKR’s bowlers, who restricted SRH to a paltry 113 runs, thanks to a standout performance by Mitchell Starc leading the charge.
Mitchell Starc, who had previously shown his prowess against SRH in their earlier meeting in Ahmedabad and earned the Player of the Match accolade, struck early again. He set the tone by dismissing SRH’s Abhishek Sharma in the very first over. Delivering a peach of a delivery that moved away just enough to kiss the top of the off-stump, Starc claimed a key wicket and tilted the balance in KKR’s favor.
Following Starc’s early breakthrough, Vaibhav Arora joined the party and rattled SRH further. Travis Head, who faced his first ball under immense pressure, only managed to edge it to the wicketkeeper. With SRH reeling at six for two, KKR had already made a substantial impact inside the initial powerplay.
SRH struggled to regain their footing, with runs hard to come by and KKR’s bowlers consistently hitting the right areas. Despite getting their first boundary in the third over, SRH faced further devastation at the hands of Starc. In his second over, Starc dismissed the dangerous Rahul Tripathi, who miscued a big shot and was caught at mid-wicket, leaving SRH in deeper trouble.
Meanwhile, a brief respite for SRH came in the form of Nitish Reddy, who managed to score 17 runs off the sixth over bowled by Arora, which included the first six of the innings. However, the onslaught by KKR continued relentlessly. With noteworthy support spells from Andre Russell and Harshit Rana, SRH couldn’t build any substantial partnership.
Right after the powerplay, Harshit Rana got Nitish Reddy caught behind, handing KKR their fifth wicket. Following suit, Andre Russell struck gold by dismissing SRH captain Aiden Markram for a fighting 20.
. Aiden’s departure, as he tried to clear Starc at long-on, reaffirmed KKR’s dominance.
The middle order of SRH, including Shahbaz Ahmed and Abdul Samad, also crumbled under pressure. Shahbaz was caught at short fine-leg off Varun Chakaravarthy’s bowling, while Abdul Samad’s stay was cut short by Russell. The most significant blow came when Heinrich Klaasen, deemed as a game-changer, was bowled out by Rana in the 15th over, leaving SRH without a major hope of recovery.
In the tail-end of SRH’s innings, Pat Cummins fought valiantly to take his team past the 100-run mark. A glimmer of resilience was seen when Cummins, having been dropped by Starc, managed a brief salvo to add some runs. Ironically, the innings was wrapped up as Cummins, trying to push further, found Starc at long-on, sealing SRH’s fate at 113 runs in the 19th over.
KKR’s chase began with a bang, as Rahmanullah Gurbaz confidently hit the second ball of the innings for four through point. Partnering with Sunil Narine, KKR’s openers didn’t waste any time. Cummins, this time with the ball, was smashed for a six by Narine in the second over, although Narine fell soon after attempting to replicate the shot.
Any early jitters for KKR were quelled by Venkatesh Iyer, who unleashed a flurry of boundaries. His aggressive play saw KKR racing towards their target as Iyer took to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, hitting consecutive sixes down the ground that highlighted his intent. KKR’s score soared to 50 runs inside the first five overs, with Iyer particularly ruthless on the leg side.
With the powerplay coming to an end at a commanding 72 for one, the rest of the chase was a formality. Gurbaz, who had been playing second fiddle, upped the ante after the powerplay as KKR’s 100-run mark was breached in less than nine overs. Although Gurbaz fell for 39, the victory was all but sealed.
The final flourish came as Iyer brothers teamed up to finish in style. Venkatesh Iyer reached his half-century off just 24 balls, and then it was only a matter of time. He hit the winning runs in the next over, sparking jubilant celebrations as KKR’s players and fans celebrated their hard-earned third IPL title, capping an exhilarating and dominant display throughout the match.