The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) reigned supreme, clinching the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title with an awe-inspiring all-round display against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The same venue that witnessed KKR’s maiden title win in 2012 was once again the stage for their triumphant moment, as they secured their third IPL trophy on May 26, 2024. The KKR bowling unit delivered a masterful performance, restricting the formidable SRH batting lineup to a modest 113 runs, which was promptly chased down in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets to spare.
At the coin toss, KKR captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his preference to bowl first, a decision validated by SRH’s choice to bat after winning the toss. Living up to their captain’s expectations, KKR’s bowlers set the tone with a stellar display, spearheaded by Mitchell Starc, who was named Player of the Match for his incredible performance in their previous encounter in Ahmedabad.
Abhishek Sharma, given the responsibility of opening over Travis Head, faced Starc’s new ball in an electrifying first over. Starc showcased his prowess by extracting impressive shape and consistently challenging Abhishek. The fifth delivery, which pivoted around the middle-stump and slightly moved away, was applauded as one of the balls of the tournament, catching Abhishek off-guard as it uprooted his off-stump.
The momentum generated by Starc was further amplified by Vaibhav Arora’s equally captivating spell. Arora’s first delivery to Travis Head swerved away from the left-hander, resulting in an outside edge that was safely pouched by the wicketkeeper. With SRH reeling at six for two, KKR had inched closer to their coveted victory by dismantling one of the most prolific opening pairs of the tournament.
Sunrisers found themselves in a tight spot, as runs were hard to come by due to the early blows and KKR’s unwavering persistence with their opening bowlers. The first boundary for SRH emerged only in the third over, and Starc continued his impactful performance by claiming Rahul Tripathi’s wicket in the fifth over, who misjudged a shot and was caught at mid-wicket.
A brief respite came for SRH in the powerplay’s last over, where they managed to score 17 runs off Arora, including a significant six by Nitish Reddy. However, as the middle overs approached, KKR bowlers continued to tighten their grip. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana inflicted further damage with their wicket-taking efforts, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy maintained an economical stranglehold.
SRH’s Nitish Reddy was soon dismissed by Rana, caught behind just after the powerplay.
. Russell claimed the wicket of Aiden Markram for 20 runs, with Markram perishing to a catch by Starc at long-on. Shahbaz Ahmed was next to fall, caught at short fine-leg off Chakaravarthy’s skillful bowling, furthering KKR’s dominance. Abdul Samad, deployed as an impact player, was also caught behind off Russell, marking another crucial moment.
The biggest breakthrough came when Rana bowled out Heinrich Klaasen in the 15th over, leaving SRH struggling below the 100-run mark. Pat Cummins fought resiliently, contributing 24 runs to drive his team past three figures. Despite being dropped by Starc, Cummins’s innings culminated when he found Starc at long-on in the 19th over, wrapping up SRH’s innings.
KKR’s chase was marked by Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s boundary from the second delivery. Though Cummins’s first over saw Narine smashing a six, Narine’s attempt for a repeat ended in an unfortunate top-edge. Any jitters KKR might have faced were alleviated when Venkatesh Iyer’s aggressive batting saw two sixes and a four in the subsequent over. Demonstrating his form, Iyer’s audacious advance down the track against Bhuvneshwar Kumar for sixes set a firm tone.
The chase quickly accelerated, with KKR reaching their fifty inside five overs. While Gurbaz played a relatively steady innings, Venkatesh Iyer seemed intent on wrapping up proceedings swiftly. The last over of the powerplay, bowled by T Natarajan, saw Iyer dispatching three fours and a six, putting KKR in a commanding position at 72 for one after the powerplay.
Post powerplay, the KKR batters continued their relentless pursuit. Gurbaz accelerated against the spinners, taking KKR past the 100-run mark in under nine overs. Gurbaz eventually fell for 39 but by then, the victory was within touching distance.
Venkatesh Iyer’s aggressive approach continued, as he brought up his quick-fire half-century off just 24 balls. Appropriately, he hit the winning runs in the next over, triggering immense celebrations among KKR players as they sprinted onto the field to rejoice their third IPL title, etching their names once again in IPL history.