Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final, putting on a commanding all-round display to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This venue is a historical one for KKR, as it was here in 2012 that they secured their inaugural IPL title. Fast forward to May 26, 2024, and the Kolkata-based franchise replicated that success, lifting their third IPL trophy.
The stage was set for an exciting final as the two teams lined up for the toss. Shreyas Iyer, the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, expressed a preference for bowling first, although it was Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers Hyderabad who won the toss and elected to bat. Iyer’s wish to field first soon proved insightful as his bowlers delivered a stellar performance to back up his belief in them.
Mitchell Starc led the charge for KKR with a sensational bowling display, reminiscent of his memorable performance in the teams’ previous encounter in Ahmedabad. Abhishek Sharma, who opened the batting for SRH due to his impressive form in Qualifier 1, faced Starc as he took the new ball. Starc immediately found his rhythm, testing Abhishek with probing deliveries. The fifth ball of Starc’s first over was particularly noteworthy – a beautiful delivery that pitched on middle-stump and subtly swung away to dislodge Abhishek’s off-stump, providing the perfect start for KKR.
Buoyed by Starc’s early breakthrough, Vaibhav Arora joined the party, delivering a magical over that compounded SRH’s problems. Travis Head, who typically plays a crucial role at the top of SRH’s batting order, fell victim to Arora on his first delivery, edging the ball to the wicketkeeper. With the scoreline reading six for two, KKR had already sent shockwaves through the SRH camp.
With boundaries hard to come by, SRH struggled to build momentum. KKR’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure, with Starc returning to claim another crucial wicket in his second over. This time, it was Rahul Tripathi who fell, trying to clear the infield but only managing to sky the ball to mid-wicket.
A brief respite arrived for Sunrisers in the form of Nitish Reddy, who managed to score 17 runs off Arora in the sixth over, including SRH’s first six of the innings. However, KKR’s continued stranglehold was maintained by their bowlers throughout the middle overs. The duo of Andre Russell and Harshit Rana further dented SRH’s innings with effective spells, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy stifled the batsmen with their economical bowling.
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Reddy’s resistance ended when he was caught behind off Rana’s bowling soon after the powerplay. The momentum swung further in KKR’s favor when Aiden Markram, who showed some fight with 20 runs, holed out to Starc at long-on off Russell’s bowling. Shahbaz Ahmed and Abdul Samad also failed to stabilize the innings, falling to Chakaravarthy and Russell, respectively.
One of the critical moments came when Heinrich Klaasen was bowled by Rana in the 15th over, leaving SRH struggling to reach a competitive total, having not even crossed the 100-run mark. Pat Cummins, with a valiant 24, top-scored for his team, attempting to shepherd SRH to a respectable score. Ironically, the innings wrapped up when Cummins found Starc at long-on off Harshit Rana’s bowling in the 19th over, setting KKR a target of 114 runs.
In reply, KKR’s chase was swift and clinical. Rahmanullah Gurbaz kick-started the innings, driving the second ball to point for a boundary. Sunil Narine joined him in attacking the bowlers, smashing a six off the first ball he faced from Cummins before falling in an attempt to go big once again. Despite this early wicket, any doubts quickly evaporated as Venkatesh Iyer took control.
Iyer’s aggressive approach saw him dance down the track to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, lofting two sixes and a four, making a significant statement of intent. By the end of five overs, KKR had galloped to 50 for one, with Gurbaz playing the anchor role while Iyer attacked. The aggressiveness of Iyer continued unabated, particularly against T Natarajan, whom he drove for three fours and a six in the final over of the powerplay.
After the powerplay, with 72 for one on the board, Gurbaz shifted gears against the SRH spinners, taking KKR past the 100-run mark inside the ninth over. Although Gurbaz was dismissed for 39, the target was already within reach. The baton was passed to Shreyas Iyer, who, alongside namesake Venkatesh, led KKR to the threshold of victory.
Appropriately, it was Venkatesh Iyer who hit the winning runs. His half-century off just 24 balls underpinned the KKR chase, ensuring a comprehensive eight-wicket victory. As the winning boundary raced to the fence, KKR players stormed onto the field, celebrating their third IPL title – a fitting reward for their dominant performance in the final.