The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) triumphed in a breathtaking display of cricketing prowess to secure the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title. Facing the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, KKR delivered a compelling performance that mirrored their maiden title win at the same venue in 2012. On May 26, 2024, KKR added a third IPL trophy to their cabinet by restricting the formidable SRH batting unit to a paltry 113 runs and then chasing it down in a mere 10.3 overs with eight wickets to spare.
The pivotal moment began at the toss, where KKR captain Shreyas Iyer revealed his preference to bowl first after the Sunrisers won and chose to bat. The bowlers exemplified their captain’s confidence, starting with an exceptional opening spell by Mitchell Starc, who had also been the Player of the Match when the two teams last met in Ahmedabad.
The SRH innings started under immense pressure as Abhishek Sharma faced Starc with the new ball. The Australian quick exhibited remarkable skill in the very first over, bowling a near-perfect delivery that pitched on middle-stump and moved away just enough to take the top of off stump, leaving the prolific Abhishek squared up and dismissed. This early breakthrough set the tone for SRH’s downfall.
Vaibhav Arora complemented Starc’s efforts magnificently. When Travis Head came in to steady the ship, Arora produced a peach of a delivery, moving away from the left-hander, who only managed to edge it to the wicketkeeper. At six for two, SRH had already lost their star opening pair, placing them in a precarious position early in the game.
As KKR continued their dominance, the SRH batters struggled to find any rhythm. The third over yielded SRH’s first boundary, but Starc was far from done. He returned in the fifth over to dismiss Rahul Tripathi, who misjudged a big shot only to sky the ball to mid-wicket. SRH managed some respite towards the end of the powerplay when they scored 17 runs off the sixth over, bowled by Arora, including Nitish Reddy’s first six of the innings.
In the middle overs, KKR’s bowlers tightened the noose. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana picked up crucial wickets, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy kept the scoring rate in check with miserly spells. Rana dismissed Reddy soon after the powerplay, caught behind by the keeper. Russell chipped in with the key wicket of Aiden Markram, who scored a modest 20 before holing out to Starc at long-on.
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SRH continued to falter as Shahbaz Ahmed was caught at short fine-leg off Chakaravarthy’s bowling. Abdul Samad, brought in as an impact player, was quickly caught behind off Russell. The most significant blow was delivered by Rana, who bowled Heinrich Klaasen in the 15th over with SRH still struggling to cross the 100-run mark.
Pat Cummins, fighting a lone battle, managed to drag SRH to a three-figure score. He top-scored with 24 and tried to prolong the innings, benefiting briefly from a dropped catch by Starc. However, the innings concluded fittingly when Cummins found Starc at long-on once again in the 19th over.
KKR’s run-chase began with aggressive intent. Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone with a boundary off the second ball. Sunil Narine joined the party by smashing Pat Cummins for a six in the second over, though he was dismissed shortly after while attempting another big hit. Any tension KKR might have felt eased significantly in the next over as Venkatesh Iyer unleashed a torrent of runs, hitting two sixes and a four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
With momentum firmly on their side, KKR’s score raced to fifty inside five overs. While Gurbaz played a patient innings, Venkatesh Iyer accelerated with audacious shots, particularly favoring the leg-side. By the end of the powerplay, KKR had amassed 72 for the loss of just one wicket.
Post powerplay, the assault continued unabated. Gurbaz shifted gears as spinners came into play, pushing KKR past the 100-run milestone within nine overs. Despite Gurbaz’s eventual dismissal for 39, KKR were on the brink of victory. The Iyer brothers, Shreyas and Venkatesh, then steered the team home.
Venkatesh Iyer reached his half-century off just 24 balls and fittingly scored the winning runs, prompting jubilant celebrations as KKR players stormed the field. Their clinical performance had secured the TATA IPL 2024 title with an emphatic all-around display, reaffirming their dominance in the league with a third prestigious trophy.