In a spectacular display of cricketing prowess, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with a comprehensive all-round performance at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This victory marks KKR’s third IPL title, a feat they achieved by replicating the magic of their first title win at the same venue in 2012. On May 26, 2024, the Knight Riders produced a phenomenal show, restricting their formidable opponents to a meager 113 runs, a target which they chased down effortlessly in just 10.3 overs, securing the win with eight wickets in hand.
The drama of the final began at the toss when KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer expressed his interest in bowling first—a decision taken out of his hands as SRH won the toss and elected to bat. However, this decision played right into the hands of KKR’s bowlers, who put on an incredible display with the ball. Leading the attack was Mitchell Starc, who had previously been instrumental in KKR’s win over SRH in Ahmedabad and continued his fine form into this high-stakes match.
SRH’s decision to bat first quickly turned sour as they faced a lethal opening spell from Starc, who struck in the very first over. Abhishek Sharma, attempting to navigate Starc’s nuanced swing and accuracy, was defeated by a beautiful delivery that shaped away just enough to clip the top of the off stump. This early breakthrough charged up the KKR side, and Vaibhav Arora capitalized on this momentum with an impressive spell of his own. Arora dismissed Travis Head with his very first delivery, getting the ball to move away and enticing an edge to the wicketkeeper. In just a couple of overs, the devastating opening pair of SRH was back in the pavilion at 6 for 2.
With the formidable opening duo of Sharma and Head neutralized, the runs dried up as SRH struggled against KKR’s relentless attack. Starc, continuing his aggressive approach, returned to remove Rahul Tripathi in the fifth over as he attempted a hefty shot but only succeeded in skimming the ball high to a waiting fielder. Trying to regain their footing, SRH found some respite with a 17-run over from Arora—during which Nitish Reddy hit the first six of their innings—but the KKR bowlers staunchly maintained their grip.
The middle-overs were characterized by KKR’s coherence in bowling, with Andre Russell and Harshit Rana picking off wickets with efficient, targeted spells.
. Spin twins Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy contained the SRH lineup further, ensuring a skyrocketing required run rate. Reddy’s exit shortly after the powerplay, bowled by Rana, propelled KKR as they chipped away at SRH’s lineup.
Among the sparks that threatened the KKR plan, Aiden Markram was dismissed for 20, courtesy of Russell, who lured him into a false stroke caught by Starc at long-on. In a succeeding blow, Shahbaz Ahmed was caught with a miscued sweep to short fine-leg off Chakaravarthy’s bowling. The SRH innings never truly gathered steam, with their key middle-order batsmen falling prey to the KKR strategy and discipline.
In a bid to salvage a respectable total, Pat Cummins showed resilience, becoming the top-scorer for SRH with just 24 runs. His late charge, however, was limited as he was eventually caught at long-on off Starc’s bowling, encapsulating a regrettable innings for SRH which concluded in the 19th over.
The chase was anchored by an aggressive opening from KKR’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who initiated the push with a crisp four off the second ball. Sunil Narine added to the explosive outset, smashing a six off Cummins but fell shortly thereafter to an ill-judged top-edge. However, any concern for KKR evaporated in the over when Venkatesh Iyer unleashed his flourishing stroke play—dispatching two sixes and a four—projecting KKR’s score to a rapid fifty within the first five overs. Gurbaz, maintaining a steady pace, dovetailed well with Venkatesh, whose aggressive intent was exemplified during the annihilation of Natarajan in the powerplay’s last over.
With the KKR titans in full flow, Gurbaz shifted up a gear post powerplay, taking full toll of the spin threat and propelling KKR past 100 in under nine overs. Although Gurbaz was dismissed for 39, the momentum was firmly in KKR’s favor as they raced toward victory. It was Venkatesh Iyer’s commanding half-century, reached off just 24 balls, which paved the way for the finale. With poise and style, he calmly slotted KKR’s winning boundary, unleashing a flood of jubilation as the team members rushed onto the field to celebrate their historic third IPL title.