Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) overwhelmed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by a comprehensive eight-wicket margin to secure their place in the grand finale of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad served as the battleground, where KKR’s bowlers effectively curtailed a potent SRH batting line-up to a modest total of 159. Subsequently, the KKR batters exhibited calm and control as they chased down the target, thereby ensuring their fourth appearance in the IPL final and their first since 2021.
As events unfolded, SRH skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to put runs on the board first. SRH had relied heavily on their explosive batting throughout the season, providing fans with plenty of entertainment. The artistry began as Mitchell Starc charged in to deliver the new ball to Travis Head. Starc made an early breakthrough, rattling Head’s stumps off the second ball of the innings, handing KKR a dream start.
The powerplay overs were a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with intense competitiveness. SRH endeavored to build their innings with their trademark aggressive flair, even as KKR countered with relentless wicket-taking efforts. Among the ruins, Rahul Tripathi assumed the mantle of resilience for SRH, launching an offensive to keep SRH’s hopes alive. Unfazed by the mounting pressure, he opted for aerial shots to unshackle the defense. However, at the other end, wickets kept tumbling. In the second over, Abhishek Sharma was caught at cover by Andre Russell off Vaibhav Arora. Starc returned to pick two more wickets in the fifth over; Nitish Reddy’s top-edge landed in Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s gloves, followed by Shahbaz Ahmed inside-edging onto his stumps first ball. By the fifth over, SRH was floundering at 39 for four.
A pivotal partnership between Heinrich Klaasen and Tripathi provided SRH with a lifeline. They amassed 61 runs during the next six overs. With Sunil Narine introducing himself in the ninth over, Klaasen dealt a hefty blow, sending him over the boundary for six to set an aggressive tone. Tripathi reached his fifty in the 11th over, reaching the milestone with a reverse-swept four off Chakaravarthy – a quickfire effort that came from just 29 balls.
Yet, the resurgence was short-lived. Klaasen perished to a deep mid-wicket catch by Rinku Singh, contributing 32 vital runs. Meanwhile, Abdul Samad strode in with fire in his belly, hammering a colossal six off Narine off his first ball. His aggression didn’t waver; he carted another six off Narine in the 14th over. However, a mix-up proved detrimental, leading to Tripathi’s run-out for 55. SRH found themselves in troubled waters again at 121 for six.
.
From thereon, SRH’s progress was curtailed, with only Pat Cummins showing some resistance scoring 30 off 24 balls. He navigated the innings past the 150-run mark even as he saw wickets continue to fall around him. Cummins found the boundary ropes in the death overs, disrupting Starc’s figures by hitting the last two balls for four and six. Cummins’s tenacity ended in the final over, with SRH posting 159. KKR’s bowlers showcased a collective effort, though Starc stood out with three wickets for 34 runs, and Chakaravarthy displayed great control with two for 26. The fielding unit for KKR backed their bowlers diligently, contributing significantly to the team’s success.
On the batting front, KKR launched their chase with an aggressiveness typically reserved for much higher targets. Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone, opening the innings with Sunil Narine. Gurbaz wasted no time, hitting the second ball for four, setting the stage for an aggressive pursuit. Cummins faced a similar onslaught, Narine dispatching him for consecutive boundaries before Gurbaz nudged a top-edge for six over third-man. The aggression continued unabated, and Natarajan’s introduction in the fourth over provided SRH a breakthrough, with Gurbaz falling for 23 attempting to clear cover.
Nonetheless, SRH found no respite, as Venkatesh Iyer walked in and maintained the vigorous tempo. Collecting 63 runs during the powerplay, KKR were firmly in control. Narine’s brief cameo of 21 ended when he holed out to deep square-leg off Cummins.
The Iyer duo, Shreyas and Venkatesh, then took charge and steered the innings. With the asking rate comfortably in check, they executed their shots with purpose. SRH’s woes compounded with early losses of crucial reviews and multiple dropped catches off Shreyas. Venkatesh emphatically struck several sixes, demonstrating sharp timing and power. Shreyas also increased his scoring rate, achieving boundaries with ease as the match progressed.
With victory in sight, Venkatesh lofted one over mid-wicket off Nitish for six, bringing up his half-century in just 28 balls. Shreyas wasn’t far behind, smashing Head through square-leg for six, then targeting wide long-on for four, following up with another six to complete his fifty off 23 balls. The captain sealed the win emphatically, hitting a massive six over long-on, wrapping up the match in just 13.4 overs with eight wickets in hand, and 38 balls to spare, underscoring KKR’s dominance.
As KKR looks forward to contesting the title, SRH must regroup for another shot at the final by facing the winner of the Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals.