Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title with a dominating all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. At the same ground in 2012, KKR had clinched their maiden title, and on May 26, 2024, they scripted an encore to lift their third trophy. The KKR bowlers did extremely well to restrict the dangerous SRH batting line-up to 113 – which was chased down in only 10.3 overs, achieving a comfortable victory with eight wickets in hand.
At the toss, KKR captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his preference to bowl first, although it was SRH that won the toss and opted to bat. The KKR bowlers lived up to their captain’s beliefs with a dominating display, led by their spearhead Mitchell Starc, who had already demonstrated his prowess by being named Player of the Match in their previous encounter in Ahmedabad.
Taking from the lessons of the Qualifier 1, SRH’s Abhishek Sharma faced Starc’s new ball. Starc, finding his rhythm and swing early on, posed several challenging deliveries to Abhishek. It was the fifth ball of the opening over that marked a crucial moment in the match; a delivery that perfectly pitched around the middle stump, shaped away just enough to square Abhishek up and nick the top of off.
Buoyed by Starc’s sensational first over, Vaibhav Arora followed suit with a spell of his own. When Travis Head took to the striker’s end, Arora delivered a magnificent ball that found the edge straight to the wicketkeeper. SRH found themselves reeling at six runs for two wickets, as KKR managed to dismantle one of the most formidable opening pairs of the tournament.
The early jolts meant runs were a rare commodity for SRH as KKR’s bowlers tightened their grip. SRH managed to notch up their first boundary only in the third over, but the pressure remained. Not to be outdone by his first flourish, Starc returned in the fifth over to dismiss Rahul Tripathi, who mistimed a shot and was caught at mid-wicket.
Relief was fleeting for SRH, as they gained 17 runs in the sixth over bowled by Arora, with Nitish Reddy hitting the first six of the innings. During the middle overs, KKR’s bowlers reinforced their early breakthroughs. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana put in impactful spells, taking wickets to further dent SRH’s innings. Meanwhile, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy maintained their dominance with economical bowling.
Post the powerplay overs, Nitish Reddy was caught behind off Harshit Rana, intensifying SRH’s struggles.
. Russell then claimed the prized wicket of Aiden Markram, who miscued a shot to be caught by Starc at long-on. Shahbaz Ahmed also fell cheaply, caught at short fine-leg off Chakaravarthy’s bowling.
KKR’s bowlers continued their relentless attack, with Abdul Samad, the impact player, getting caught behind off of Russell. The biggest blow for SRH came when Heinrich Klaasen was bowled by Rana in the fifteenth over, leaving SRH teetering without crossing the 100-run mark.
Pat Cummins provided some resistance, managing to scrape together enough runs to take SRH past three figures. He top-scored with 24 runs and fought valiantly, albeit finding a slice of luck with a dropped catch by Starc at long-on. However, the irony played out when Cummins’s valiant effort ended at Starc’s hands again, as he was caught at long-on in the 19th over.
Chasing a modest target of 113, KKR began assertively with Rahmanullah Gurbaz hitting a boundary off the second ball. Pat Cummins bowled the next over, and Narine smashed the first ball for a six. Attempting to replicate the shot, Narine got a top-edged catch on the leg side. Despite this early loss, any jitters were quickly subdued as Venkatesh Iyer hit two sixes and a four in the following over, particularly taking a liking to Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s bowling.
KKR’s run-chase gathered rapid momentum, bringing up their fifty within five overs. Gurbaz played a more controlled game while Venkatesh looked in a hurry, picking up the last over of the powerplay bowled by T Natarajan for a flurry of boundaries. Domination continued as KKR accrued 72 runs for the loss of one wicket by the end of the powerplay.
Gurbaz and Venkatesh continued their aggressive stance, with Gurbaz shifting gears after the powerplay as spinners were introduced. This effort rapidly brought KKR past the 100-run mark inside nine overs. Gurbaz fell for 39 runs, but the Iyer duo, Venkatesh alongside Shreyas, finished the job.
Venkatesh Iyer reached his half-century in just 24 balls. With the target within sight, Venkatesh hit the winning runs in the next over, initiating ecstatic celebrations on the field as KKR lifted their third IPL title. The comprehensive win showcased KKR’s prowess and valor, etching another glorious chapter in their storied IPL history.