In an electrifying match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) sealed their dominance in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by clinching the title in a masterful display of all-round cricket against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). This thrilling final saw KKR lifting their third IPL trophy, echoing their historic win at the same venue back in 2012.
SRH captain won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision that KKR’s bowlers relished. Shreyas Iyer, KKR’s captain, mentioned he would have preferred to bowl, and his bowlers validated his stance with a commanding performance right from the start.
Mitchell Starc, who had previously been the Player of the Match in the teams’ last encounter in Ahmedabad, led KKR’s attack with vigor. Abhishek Sharma faced Starc’s new ball, and it wasn’t long before Starc produced a sensational delivery. A ball that pitched around middle-stump swung away just enough to beat the prolific opener’s defense and claim the stumps. This early wicket set the tone, and SRH’s batting order began to crumble under pressure.
Vaibhav Arora joined the destruction, dismissing Travis Head on his very first ball. Head, who is known for his aggressive batting, managed only to edge the ball to the wicketkeeper, leaving SRH reeling at six for two. The KKR bowlers dominated the powerplay, ensuring SRH struggled to find boundaries and momentum.
With SRH finding it difficult to score, their first boundary didn’t come until the third over. Starc, determined to keep the tension high, dismissed Rahul Tripathi in the fifth over with a deceptively bouncy delivery that ended in an easy catch at mid-wicket. SRH managed a brief respite in the sixth over, adding 17 runs, including a six from Nitish Reddy. However, KKR’s bowlers continued their assault, consistently taking wickets and keeping the scoring rate in check.
Andre Russell and Harshit Rana added to SRH’s woes with their precise and impactful bowling. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy were economical, stifling the SRH batsmen further. Post powerplay, Reddy fell victim to Rana, caught behind just when he seemed to settle.
. Russell then removed Aiden Markram, who could not capitalize on a promising start and holed out to Starc at long-on.
Shahbaz Ahmed, attempting to stabilize the innings, was dismissed cheaply, caught at short fine-leg off Chakaravarthy. Abdul Samad, SRH’s designated impact player, was also sent back to the pavilion by Russell. The dismissals continued when Rana bowled Heinrich Klaasen, SRH’s primary hope of a recovery, in the 15th over, preventing SRH from crossing 100 at that point.
Pat Cummins stood as the last line of resistance for SRH, scoring a valiant 24 — the team’s top score. Despite being dropped by Starc, Cummins couldn’t steer his team to a competitive total as the innings concluded at 113 when he was caught at long-on by Starc in the penultimate over.
KKR’s pursuit of the modest target started aggressively, setting the tone early with Rahmanullah Gurbaz striking a boundary off the second ball. Cummins, trying to compensate for his team’s underperformance, was struck for a six by Narine in his first over. Despite losing Narine early to a rash shot, KKR never looked back.
The defining over came from Venkatesh Iyer, who thrashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two sixes and a four in the third over, signaling KKR’s aggressive intent. The Knight Riders raced to their fifty inside five overs, with Iyer playing a pivotal role. He was relentless, particularly in the last over of the powerplay, dominating Natarajan with three fours and a towering six.
Gurbaz, slower initially, picked up pace post-powerplay, feasting on SRH’s spinners and moving the score briskly towards the target. With victory in sight, KKR crossed the hundred-run mark by the ninth over. Gurbaz eventually fell for a well-played 39, leaving Venkatesh and Shreyas Iyer to finish the chase.
Venkatesh reached his half-century off merely 24 balls and fittingly hit the winning runs in the 11th over. The jubilant KKR team erupted in celebration as they solidified their position as one of the premier teams in IPL history by clinching their third title.
This resounding victory not only highlighted KKR’s all-round strength but also reiterated their ability to perform under pressure and dominate on the big stage.