Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title with a dominating all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This historic win marked KKR’s third IPL title, having previously won the tournament in 2012 and 2014. The match, held on May 26, 2024, saw a remarkable display of skill and strategy, culminating in KKR chasing down SRH’s meager total of 113 in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets in hand.
The match began with a significant moment at the toss where SRH, after winning, opted to bat first. KKR’s captain Shreyas Iyer mentioned that he would have chosen to bowl, a decision that was vindicated by his bowlers’ splendid performance. Leading the charge was Mitchell Starc, who had been instrumental in KKR’s previous encounter with SRH during the playoffs.
Taking the new ball, Starc delivered an outstanding first over. SRH’s opener Abhishek Sharma faced a tight line and length, culminating in a stunning delivery that curved away and clipped the top of off-stump. This set the tone for the match as KKR drew first blood early. Following Starc’s lead, Vaibhav Arora compounded SRH’s woes by dismissing the dangerous Travis Head with an outswinger caught behind by the wicketkeeper.
With SRH reeling at 6 for 2, KKR applied relentless pressure. Their disciplined bowling attack restricted SRH’s run rate, making it difficult for them to stabilize their innings. SRH managed their first boundary only in the third over, a testament to KKR’s effective bowling.
Mitchell Starc struck again in the fifth over, claiming the crucial wicket of Rahul Tripathi, who was caught attempting a big shot. Despite a brief respite where SRH managed 17 runs off one over by Arora, their progress was stymied by KKR’s bowlers. None of SRH’s batsmen could build a significant partnership, and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
. Nitish Reddy hit a six during the powerplay, but his stay was short-lived as he was caught behind off Harshit Rana’s bowling.
Andre Russell and Harshit Rana continued to throttle SRH with their wicket-taking spells in the middle overs. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy kept the pressure on with their economical bowling. Aiden Markram, SRH’s captain, and Shahbaz Ahmed attempted to rebuild the innings but were soon dismissed by Russell and Chakravarthy respectively. The biggest blow came when Rana bowled Heinrich Klaasen, leaving SRH struggling to cross the 100-run mark.
Pat Cummins provided some resistance, top-scoring with 24 and managing to push SRH’s total to a somewhat respectable 113, aided by a few missed chances from KKR’s fielders. However, his efforts were in vain as SRH’s innings concluded in the 19th over, ending when Cummins was caught by Starc at long-on.
During KKR’s run-chase, Rahmanullah Gurbaz set a brisk pace, hitting the second ball for four. Despite the early dismissal of Sunil Narine, who was caught on the leg-side after an aggressive shot, Venkatesh Iyer ensured there were no further jitters. Iyer smashed two sixes and a four in the very next over, sending a message of dominance as he danced down to Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s deliveries.
The chase accelerated swiftly with KKR’s fifty coming up inside five overs. Venkatesh Iyer was the aggressor, especially potent through the leg-side. Gurbaz played a more stable role initially but found his rhythm as the spinners came into play, allowing KKR to surpass the 100-run mark within nine overs. Gurbaz’s solid 39-run innings ended just before KKR closed in on the target.
With the winning runs coming off Venkatesh Iyer’s bat, who reached his half-century from just 24 balls, the KKR camp erupted in jubilation. This decisive victory etched another memorable chapter in KKR’s illustrious IPL history as they lifted the trophy once again.
The MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed a masterclass of both bowling and batting as KKR celebrated their triumph, reinforcing their status as one of the premier franchises in the IPL.