Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) overwhelmed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with an assertive eight-wicket triumph to secure their place in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad bore witness to KKR’s impressive performance, with their bowlers effectively stifling SRH’s potent batting lineup to a modest 159. The KKR batsmen then put on a commanding display to chase down the target, marking their fourth IPL final appearance, and their first since 2021.
The excitement started with SRH captain Pat Cummins winning the toss and opting to bat first. SRH, known for their aggressive batting throughout the season, were expected to deliver another enthralling performance. However, the tables turned quickly as KKR’s Mitchell Starc, taking the new ball, bowled a searing delivery that took down Travis Head’s stumps off the second ball, heralding a strong start for KKR.
The powerplay phase was filled with dramatic moments as SRH tried to establish their game, while KKR aggressively sought wickets. Amidst this, Rahul Tripathi emerged as the hopeful beacon for SRH, combating KKR’s pressure bravely with aerial shots. Despite his efforts, SRH’s situation worsened with three more wickets falling early on. Abhishek Sharma was dismissed by Vaibhav Arora in the second over, followed by Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed falling to Starc in quick succession within the fifth over, leaving SRH struggling at 39 for four.
A glimmer of hope surfaced for SRH through a resilient partnership between Klaasen and Tripathi, who added 61 runs over the next six overs. Klaasen showcased his prowess by hitting Sunil Narine for a massive six. Tripathi continued his fight, reaching his fifty in just 29 balls with a boundary off Varun Chakaravarthy. Despite this brief comeback, SRH’s innings faltered again when Klaasen was caught for 32 at deep mid-wicket by Rinku Singh.
Abdul Samad injected some aggression with his first ball six off Narine and another massive hit in the 14th over, but a mix-up with Tripathi led to the latter’s run-out for a well-fought 55. SRH found themselves at a shaky 121 for six.
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In the remaining overs, only captain Pat Cummins offered any further resistance, scoring 30 off 24 balls and pushing SRH past 150. Cummins managed to spoil Starc’s bowling figures slightly, hitting two boundaries in the final balls of his spell. Nevertheless, Cummins’ dismissal in the final over capped SRH’s innings at 159. Key performances from KKR bowlers, especially Starc with three for 34 and Chakaravarthy’s economical two for 26, were backed by sharp fielding efforts.
KKR’s chase was off to a blazing start as Gurbaz and Narine opened the innings. Making an impactful start, Gurbaz hit a four off the second ball, followed by Narine’s successive boundaries off Cummins, and a fortuitous top-edge six by Gurbaz off Cummins’ over. Despite Gurbaz’s dismissal by Natarajan for 23, KKR maintained their aggressive stance.
Venkatesh Iyer joined Narine and sustained the high run-rate, putting up a solid 63 in the powerplay. Narine’s quickfire 21 ended when he was caught off Cummins, but the arrival of Shreyas Iyer ensured no respite for the SRH bowlers.
Both Iyers kept the required rate under control through smart cricket. Venkatesh, with his powerful sixes, and Shreyas, benefiting from a couple of dropped catches, steered KKR towards the target. In a display of dominance, Venkatesh reached his fifty in just 28 balls with a mid-wicket six, swiftly followed by Shreyas who brought up his half-century with consequent boundaries.
Shreyas sealed KKR’s emphatic win with a colossal six over long-on, achieving the target in just 13.4 overs, with 38 balls to spare and eight wickets intact, a testament to KKR’s superiority on the day.
While KKR now readies for the final showdown, SRH have another opportunity to clinch a final spot as they face the winner of the Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals. This next clash will determine if SRH can bounce back from their defeat and contest for the coveted IPL title.