In a thrilling climax to the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched their third IPL title with a dominating all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Adding to the nostalgia, it was at this very ground where KKR had lifted their maiden IPL title back in 2012. On May 26, 2024, history repeated itself as KKR exhibited a cricketing masterclass to overpower SRH, securing a comprehensive victory.
Winning the toss, SRH opted to bat first, a decision that quickly backfired. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer revealed he would have preferred to bowl first, showing immense confidence in his bowling attack. That belief was swiftly vindicated by KKR’s bowlers, who delivered a potent, match-winning performance. Fronting the assault was Mitchell Starc, whose exceptional bowling spell laid the foundation for KKR’s victory. Starc’s remarkable ability to shape the ball and exploit conditions saw him dismantle the top order, continuing his dominant form displayed in the teams’ previous encounter in Ahmedabad.
The match kicked off with Starc facing Abhishek Sharma, a decision possibly influenced by Sharma’s promising performance in Qualifier 1. Starc, however, had different plans. Bowling with venom, Starc produced a peach of a delivery in the very first over that took out Sharma, setting the tone for the innings. The ball pitched around middle-stump and shaped away slightly, squaring up Sharma and striking the top of off-stump.
With early momentum on their side, KKR turned to Vaibhav Arora to continue the pressure. Facing his first ball, Travis Head became Arora’s victim, edging to the wicketkeeper. At six for two, SRH’s reputable opening partnership was decimated, placing them in immediate jeopardy.
Struggling to recover from these early blows, SRH’s run flow was stunted by persistent KKR bowling in the powerplay. SRH’s first boundary came only in the third over, but the reprieve was short-lived. Starc struck again, dismissing Rahul Tripathi, who skied an attempted big shot to mid-wicket.
The powerplay offered a glimmer of hope with some runs off Arora’s sixth over, including SRH’s first six by Nitish Reddy.
. However, KKR tightened their grip in the middle overs with a collective bowling effort. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana’s wicket-taking contributions further debilitated SRH, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy stemmed the run flow with economical spells.
Another crucial wicket fell post-powerplay when Rana had Reddy caught behind. Russell then nabbed Aiden Markram for 20, caught by Starc at long-on. SRH’s struggles deepened when Shahbaz Ahmed fell early to Chakaravarthy, and impact player Abdul Samad was caught behind off Russell. The biggest blow came when Rana bowled Heinrich Klaasen in the 15th over, leaving SRH reeling without even crossing the 100-run mark.
Pat Cummins resisted till the end, emerging as the top scorer with 24. Despite being dropped by Starc, Cummins managed to drag SRH to a total of 113, with his innings ending ironically when he found Starc at long-on in the 19th over.
KKR’s run-chase commenced with Rahmanullah Gurbaz immediately setting the tone, hitting the second ball through point for four. In the second over, Narine launched Cummins over mid-wicket for six, although his attempt to repeat the feat saw him caught on the leg-side.
Any jitters were swiftly dispelled by Venkatesh Iyer, who showcased aggressive intent by hitting two sixes and a four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. By the end of the fourth over, KKR had raced to 50 runs. Gurbaz, playing relatively sedately compared to Iyer, picked his moments, especially targeting the bowlers post-powerplay.
The calculated aggression continued unabated, taking KKR past the 100-run mark inside nine overs. Gurbaz departed for a well-compiled 39, but the chase was firmly in control.
The Iyer-firm, consisting of Venkatesh, steered KKR to their historic win. Venkatesh brought up his fifty off just 24 balls, and soon after, he hit the winning runs, sparking jubilant celebrations. Players stormed the field to commemorate their third IPL title, marking a memorable finish to an extraordinary season for KKR.