In a spectacular display of cricket prowess, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final, triumphing over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with a commanding all-round performance. The grand finale, held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, witnessed KKR clinching their third IPL title on May 26, a venue that bore witness to their maiden victory back in 2012. Recreating history, KKR’s bowlers executed a disciplined performance to restrict a formidable SRH batting line-up to a mere 113 runs, which the KKR batsmen chased down efficiently in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets still in hand.
The toss was won by SRH, who opted to bat first, a decision that was initially met with approval from KKR captain Shreyas Iyer, who admitted he would have chosen to bowl first had the opportunity been his. This strategic inclination soon proved favorable as KKR’s bowlers put forth an imposing display right from the outset. The charge was led by Mitchell Starc, the standout performer in the teams’ earlier encounter in Ahmedabad, who set the tone with an impressive opening over.
Starc’s opening delivery was a showcase of skill, eking movement off the seam and creating doubt in the minds of the batsmen. The true test came on the fifth ball, a well-crafted delivery that pitched around middle stump before jagging away, deceiving SRH’s prolific opener Abhishek Sharma and clipping the top of off stump. This early breakthrough invigorated KKR as they celebrated a crucial scalp in the opening over.
Fueled by Starc’s early success, Vaibhav Arora followed suit, delivering a similarly mesmerizing spell. When Travis Head took guard on his first ball, Arora’s precise delivery induced an edge, allowing the wicketkeeper to complete the catch and send Head back to the pavilion. At a precarious six for two, SRH’s formidable opening pair crumbled under KKR’s bowling scrutiny.
The initial breakthroughs created a pressure cooker atmosphere, with runs proving hard to come by. KKR persisted with their lethal opening duo through the powerplay, stifling SRH’s ability to launch any substantial counterattacks. Despite the rare boundary eked out in the third over, Starc returned to haunt SRH’s batting order in the fifth over, as Rahul Tripathi offered a catch, attempting a lofted shot.
As the powerplay drew to a close, SRH experienced a fleeting respite with a purposeful 17-run over against Arora, highlighted by Nitish Reddy’s towering six. Despite this, KKR’s bowlers remained unyielding, sustaining the momentum created by Starc and Arora. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana contributed with wicket-taking spells, unwavering in their mission to dismantle SRH.
. Spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy maintained economic pressure, choking the run flow with tidy spells.
The post-powerplay session continued to haunt SRH, as Reddy fell cheaply to Rana. Russell’s dismissal of Aiden Markram came as a result of a top-edge, catching the fielder at long-on. Shahbaz Ahmed’s stay at the crease was short, succumbing to Chakaravarthy’s craft, while Abdul Samad, introduced as an impact player, was curtailed by Russell’s incisive bowling.
KKR’s dominance endured as they curtailed one of SRH’s strongest pillars, Heinrich Klaasen, courtesy of a precise line from Rana that breached his defenses in the 15th over. SRH’s aspirations bore the weight of a low total that had yet to breach the 100-run mark. Despite a valiant last-ditch effort from Pat Cummins, who top-scored with 24 runs and offered resistance post a reprieve from Starc’s dropped catch, SRH’s innings concluded when Cummins was caught by Starc once again at long-on, this time off Rana’s bowling in the penultimate over.
KKR’s punishment of SRH’s below-par total commenced emphatically, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz announcing his intent by piercing point with a crisp boundary off the second ball. Narine’s aggressive six off the first ball of the next over gave them early momentum, although his wicket shortly thereafter threatened to disrupt KKR’s calm pursuit.
Nonetheless, optimal synergy between Venkatesh Iyer and Gurbaz ensured the chase remained undeterred. A sequence of powerful strokes from Iyer, including two sixes and a boundary off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, invigorated KKR’s chase. The top-order batter dominated the proceedings, his aggression amassing a rapid half-century from just 24 balls.
The chase reached its crescendo, bringing the fifty-mark inside five overs, with Iyer producing a delightful array of shots predominantly through the leg-side. As spinners entered the attack, Gurbaz also began amplifying the pressure on the opposition, securing KKR’s 100-run mark inside nine overs. A brief hiccup followed when Gurbaz fell for 39, but KKR remained firmly in the driver’s seat, needing just a handful of runs to victory.
United in their resolve, the Iyer duo, Venkatesh and Shreyas, saw KKR to their crowning moment. Venkatesh Iyer fittingly sealed the victory with a characteristic boundary, sparking jubilant celebrations as the KKR squad surged onto the field, reveling in their third IPL win. Witnessing KKR reclaim the championship title after an intermission underlined their cricketing prowess and strategic supremacy, marking a triumphant chapter in their storied IPL journey.