The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) demonstrated their prowess with an emphatic eight-wicket win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), booking their place in the final of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was the stage for a dominant KKR performance, characterized by sharp bowling and clinical batting, restricting SRH to 159 and chasing down the target with ease.
The match began with SRH captain Pat Cummins electing to bat first after winning the toss. SRH, known for their explosive batting lineup, aimed to post a challenging total. The task of setting the tone fell to their top order, but KKR’s bowlers had other plans. Mitchell Starc opened the bowling for KKR and delivered an early blow, clean-bowling Travis Head on the second ball of the match.
Drama ensued during the powerplay as SRH attempted to recover from the early setback. Rahul Tripathi became a beacon of resistance, taking a bold approach by attacking KKR’s bowlers and often opting for the aerial route. However, wickets kept falling at the other end. Abhishek Sharma fell in the second over, caught by Andre Russell off Vaibhav Arora, and Starc struck again in the fifth over, dismissing Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in quick succession. By the end of the powerplay, SRH were reeling at 39 for four.
A glimmer of hope for SRH emerged from a partnership between Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen. Over the next six overs, the duo added 61 runs, with Klaasen and Tripathi targeting Sunil Narine aggressively. Klaasen hit a towering six off Narine, setting an aggressive tone. Tripathi, showing remarkable composure under pressure, reached his fifty off just 29 balls by reverse-sweeping Varun Chakaravarthy for a boundary.
However, SRH’s innings stuttered once more after Klaasen was caught at deep mid-wicket for 32. Abdul Samad came in with aggressive intent, smashing Narine for two enormous sixes. A mix-up between Samad and Tripathi led to Tripathi’s run-out for 55, leaving SRH vulnerable at 121 for six.
In the concluding overs, captain Pat Cummins tried to solidify the innings with a resilient knock of 30 off 24 balls, guiding SRH past the 150 mark despite a flurry of wickets. Cummins’ late aggression, including boundaries off the last balls of Starc’s spell, boosted SRH to finish at 159. Starc emerged as the standout bowler for KKR with figures of three for 34, complemented by Chakaravarthy’s economical two for 26.
. KKR’s fielders played a crucial role, showing excellent commitment and creating several opportunities.
KKR’s chase began with a fiery start. A strategic change saw Rahmanullah Gurbaz opening the batting alongside Sunil Narine. Gurbaz, playing his first match of the tournament, quickly made his presence felt by hitting the second ball for a four. Cummins’ entry into the attack saw Narine hitting consecutive boundaries, while Gurbaz added a six over third-man, demonstrating KKR’s aggressive intent. SRH’s T Natarajan managed to get the breakthrough in the fourth over by dismissing Gurbaz for 23, caught at cover.
Venkatesh Iyer then joined the fray, continuing the aggressive trend. Solidifying their position, KKR accumulated 63 runs in the powerplay. Narine’s brief cameo of 21 ended when he was caught at deep square-leg off Cummins.
The two Iyers, Shreyas and Venkatesh, then took charge of the innings, maintaining excellent run rate control without compromising their attacking instincts. SRH struggled in the field, having wasted both DRS reviews early and dropped crucial catches, making their task even harder. Venkatesh hammered several sixes, showcasing impeccable timing, while Shreyas found his rhythm with a series of boundaries.
Venkatesh reached his half-century off 28 balls in style, pulling Nitish Rana over mid-wicket for a six. Shreyas followed suit, bringing up his fifty with a flurry of boundaries against Head. The KKR captain sealed their dominant chase with a massive six over long-on, completing the task in just 13.4 overs. KKR finished with 38 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand, underscoring their superiority on the day.
With this victory, KKR moves forward to the IPL 2024 final, their fourth overall and first since 2021. On the other hand, SRH has another chance to reach the final as they await the winner of the Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals. As the competition heats up, all eyes will be on the next set of exciting encounters in the TATA IPL 2024.