In a thrilling encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) showcased an outstanding performance to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets, securing their place in the final of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The victory marks KKR’s fourth appearance in the final, their first since 2021, as they outclassed SRH in all departments of the game.
The match commenced with SRH’s captain Pat Cummins winning the toss and opting to bat first, hoping to leverage their potent batting lineup that had captured the imagination of fans throughout the season. However, it was KKR’s Mitchell Starc who set the tone early, delivering a searing delivery that uprooted the stumps of Travis Head on just the second ball of the innings.
As the powerplay unfolded, it became a high-stakes tussle between SRH’s intent to build a solid innings and KKR’s aggressive pursuit of wickets. Amidst this battle, Rahul Tripathi emerged as a beacon of hope for SRH, fearlessly taking the aerial route to counter the building pressure. Unfortunately, his teammates found it hard to stand firm, as SRH lost crucial wickets in rapid succession. Abhishek Sharma fell prey to Vaibhav Arora, caught by Andre Russell at cover, while Starc delivered a double blow in the fifth over to send Nitish Reddy back to the pavilion and dismissed Shahbaz Ahmed for a first-ball duck. At a precarious score of 39 for four within five overs, SRH were in dire straits.
Nonetheless, a resilient partnership between Heinrich Klaasen and Rahul Tripathi briefly revived SRH’s hopes. Their combined effort amassed 61 runs, taking on KKR’s bowlers with commendable skill. When Sunil Narine was introduced into the attack in the ninth over, Klaasen took him on with gusto, launching a massive six down the ground. Tripathi reached his half-century in the eleventh over with a reverse sweep off Varun Chakaravarthy, meticulously managing his innings under challenging circumstances.
Despite this promising spell, SRH’s innings soon faltered again. Klaasen, after scoring 32, succumbed to a catch by Rinku Singh at deep mid-wicket, and a miscommunication between Tripathi and Abdul Samad led to Tripathi’s unfortunate run-out for 55. This left SRH tottering at 121 for six, with only the captain, Pat Cummins, displaying some resistance in the latter stages of the innings. Cummins’ determined 30 off 24 balls pushed their total past 150, although the wickets continued to tumble around him. He briefly marred Starc’s impressive figures by hitting the last two deliveries of Starc’s spell for a four and a six. Cummins’ dismissal in the final over brought SRH’s innings to a close at 159.
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KKR’s bowling unit, led by Starc with figures of three for 34, and Chakaravarthy, who bowled economically with two for 26, were well-supported by sharp fielding efforts. The stage was set for KKR’s chase, and they began as if unchasing a mammoth total beyond 200.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, playing his first match of the tournament, opened the batting alongside Sunil Narine. He wasted no time making an impact, dispatching the second ball for a boundary. Facing Cummins in the second over, Narine continued the aggressive momentum with back-to-back fours, followed by Gurbaz lofting a top-edge over third-man for six. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned for another over, only to face the same intensity, and when T Natarajan was introduced in the fourth over, he finally provided SRH with a breakthrough by dismissing Gurbaz for 23.
SRH might have hoped for a respite, but Venkatesh Iyer’s arrival at the crease only intensified KKR’s relentless assault. The Knights compiled a formidable 63 runs during the powerplay alone. Shortly after, Narine’s cameo of 21 concluded as he was caught off Cummins at deep square-leg.
With Shreyas Iyer joining Venkatesh Iyer in the middle, KKR’s tempo remained unchecked. SRH’s fielders, having exhausted both reviews early and dropping crucial catches, struggled to contain the onslaught. Venkatesh, striking multiple sixes, seemed poised to steal the show before Shreyas moved into high gear, dispatching several boundaries of his own.
As victory loomed, Venkatesh pulled a Nitish Reddy delivery for six, reaching his fifty off just 28 balls. Shreyas, not to be outdone, accelerated with a sequence of powerful shots, including a towering six over square-leg, ensuring his own half-century off 23 balls. He eventually sealed KKR’s triumphant chase with a six over long-on, concluding the innings in just 13.4 overs, with 38 balls and eight wickets to spare.
KKR, having booked their spot in the final, now await their challengers. Meanwhile, SRH will have another opportunity to reach the final, as they prepare to face the victor of the Eliminator match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals.