The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) triumphed in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, securing their third title with a resounding all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the finals. The memorable match unfolded at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the very ground where KKR clinched their maiden title back in 2012. With a display reminiscent of their past glory, KKR dominated the final on May 26, 2024, restricting SRH to a paltry 113 runs and chasing it down in a mere 10.3 overs with eight wickets to spare.
The toss was a significant moment, setting the tone for an exciting encounter. SRH captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bat, which KKR captain Shreyas Iyer admitted he would have preferred. Nevertheless, KKR’s bowlers were primed for the challenge. Leading the charge was Mitchell Starc, whose previous performance against SRH in Ahmedabad had already made him a formidable figure.
From the outset, Starc’s bowling was nothing short of spectacular. Facing Abhishek Sharma, Starc wasted no time in applying pressure. In the very first over, he repeatedly ailed Sharma with his lethal deliveries. The defining moment came with the fifth ball of the over, a sublime delivery that pitched around the middle-stump and just slightly moved away, dismantling Sharma’s defenses and hitting the top of off-stump.
Emboldened by Starc’s success, Vaibhav Arora followed suit with a magical over. His very first delivery to Travis Head saw the left-hander edging it straight to the wicketkeeper. Two quick wickets had severely dented SRH’s powerful opening pair, reducing them to six for two.
The early setbacks made scoring a challenge for SRH as KKR maintained the pressure through their powerplay bowlers. SRH’s first boundary only came in the third over. Starc returned to add to his tally, snaring Rahul Tripathi who misjudged a shot and was caught at mid-wicket.
A brief respite came for SRH in the form of a 17-run over bowled by Arora, with Nitish Reddy launching the first six of their innings. However, KKR bowlers continued to tighten the noose. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana delivered impactful spells, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy kept it tight with economical bowling.
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After the powerplay, Reddy was caught behind off Rana’s bowling. Russell struck twice with key wickets – first removing Markram for 20 as he aimed a slog to long-on where Starc completed the catch. Then came Shahbaz Ahmed’s dismissal who, attempting an adventurous shot, was caught at short fine-leg.
KKR intensified their grip when Abdul Samad, brought on as the impact player, was snapped up behind off Russell’s bowling. Rana soon delivered the final blow by clean-bowling Heinrich Klaasen in the 15th over. At this stage, SRH was struggling below 100 runs.
Pat Cummins offered the last bit of resistance, top-scoring with 24 while attempting to steer SRH past the three-figure mark. Despite being given a lifeline after a dropped catch by Starc, Cummins eventually perished, finding Starc yet again at long-on, closing SRH’s innings at 113 in the 19th over.
KKR’s run chase began confidently with Rahmanullah Gurbaz slashing the second ball through point for four. Cummins, despite his earlier efforts with the bat, could not contain Narine who smashed a six off his first delivery. Though Narine fell shortly afterwards, a top-edge catch on the leg-side, any KKR nerves were quickly settled by Venkatesh Iyer.
Iyer took charge with remarkable bravado, striking two sixes and a four in a single over, making his intentions clear against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The fifty for KKR came swiftly within five overs, with Venkatesh displaying particular aggression towards the leg-side.
The pace of the chase didn’t relent with Gurbaz and Iyer both playing fluently. By the end of the powerplay, KKR were cruising at 72 for one. Spinners were introduced, but the scoring continued unabated, taking KKR past the 100-run mark in under nine overs. Gurbaz fell for a composed 39, but by then the result was a foregone conclusion.
The Iyer duo, Venkatesh and captain Shreyas, saw KKR to victory. Venkatesh reached his half-century in just 24 balls, and he hit the winning runs in the next over, sparking jubilant celebrations among the KKR players and fans alike. The comprehensive win secured KKR’s third IPL trophy, cementing their status as one of the league’s most successful franchises.