Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) overpowered Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by an eight-wicket margin to secure their place in the final of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The electrifying encounter took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where KKR delivered a dominant performance to make their fourth appearance in the IPL final, their first since 2021.
The task appeared formidable from the outset as SRH captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat. SRH relied on their dynamic batting line-up, which had thrilled audiences throughout the season. The spotlight was initially on Travis Head, faced with the daunting task of facing the fiery Mitchell Starc. However, calamity struck early for SRH as Starc bowled exceptionally, shattering Head’s stumps on the second delivery to give KKR a dream start.
The powerplay was a rollercoaster of excitement and rapid changes in fortune. While KKR’s bowlers were relentless in their pursuit of wickets, SRH aimed to showcase their aggressive style. Amidst the boundary smashes and wicket-taking deliveries, Rahul Tripathi emerged as a beacon of hope for SRH. Despite the mounting pressure, he continued his counter-offensive, playing fearlessly and taking aerial routes to score. Unfortunately, at the other end, wickets kept tumbling.
Abhishek Sharma was the second to go, caught at cover by Andre Russell off Vaibhav Arora in the second over. Starc further tightened KKR’s grip by removing Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in the fifth over. Reddy top-edged a ball, which was safely caught by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Ahmed was bowled out on his first ball, leaving SRH reeling at 39 for four within five overs.
Amidst the chaos, Heinrich Klaasen joined Tripathi, and together they stitched a crucial partnership that instilled hope for SRH. Over the next six overs, the duo added 61 runs. Klaasen took on Sunil Narine in the ninth over, smashing an enormous six and signaling a shift in momentum. Tripathi’s half-century off just 29 balls held the SRH innings together for a while.
However, KKR soon found their rhythm again, thanks to collective team effort and sharp fielding. Klaasen was caught at deep mid-wicket by Rinku Singh for 32. Abdul Samad brought in fresh hope with aggressive hits, including a massive six off his first ball. However, a disastrous mix-up led to Tripathi’s run-out for 55, leaving SRH vulnerable at 121 for six.
In the tail end, only Cummins showed significant resistance, playing a captain’s role and scoring 30 off 24 balls, propelling the team past 150.
. Cummins’ inventive and boundary-finding shots in the slog overs even came at the cost of spoiling Starc’s otherwise impressive figures. Despite this, KKR continued to apply relentless pressure, ensuring SRH’s innings ended at 159 all out. Starc’s remarkable three for 34 and Chakaravarthy’s economical two for 26 stood out amidst excellent team fielding.
Chasing 160 for victory, KKR started explosively, almost as if they were chasing a much larger total. In a strategic change, Gurbaz opened the innings with Narine. Gurbaz, playing his maiden match of the tournament, was quick to make an impression by hitting the second ball for a four. Narine wasn’t far behind, welcoming Pat Cummins with two boundaries before Gurbaz added more momentum with a six over third-man.
T Natarajan managed to clinch SRH’s first breakthrough in the fourth over, dismissing Gurbaz for 23 after an ambitious shot was safely caught. This, however, did little to slow down KKR’s onslaught. Venkatesh Iyer entered with vindictive intent, maintaining the explosive tempo alongside Narine. By the end of the powerplay, KKR had amassed 63 runs. Soon thereafter, Narine’s cameo ended with 21 runs to his name after he was caught at deep square-leg by a delivery from Cummins.
Subsequently, the Iyer duo—Shreyas and Venkatesh—took the reins and solidified KKR’s advantage. Seamlessly, they maintained the required run-rate while showcasing a brilliant blend of aggression and composure. SRH’s fielding woes compounded their troubles, with early reviews lost and catches dropped, particularly those offering opportunities to Shreyas Iyer.
With every passing over, Venkatesh unleashed a series of sixes, demonstrating fine timing and power. He brought up his quick-fire half-century with a massive six over mid-wicket off Nitish. In response, Shreyas followed suit by thrashing Head for boundaries, culminating with a six over the leg-side to bring his fifty off 23 balls.
The grand finish came when Shreyas hammered a six over long-on, sealing KKR’s victory with 38 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand. This commanding win places KKR in a strong position ahead of the final.
While KKR gears up for the final challenge, SRH gets a second chance to qualify by facing off against the winner of the Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals. This upcoming clash will determine who meets KKR in the highly anticipated final showdown.