Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made yet another assertion of their dominance in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL), as they clinched the 2024 title with a commanding all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This memorable match on May 26, 2024, saw KKR replicate their 2012 success at the same ground, securing their third IPL trophy with a resounding victory, scripting another chapter of glory in their illustrious IPL history.
The final showdown began with SRH opting to bat first after winning the toss, a decision that KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer might have made himself, as he preferred to bowl first. The KKR bowlers vindicated their captain’s faith with a stellar performance that choked the dangerous SRH batting line-up, restricting them to a paltry 113 runs. This total was easily chased down by KKR in just 10.3 overs, with eight wickets still in hand, showcasing their batting prowess and leaving no doubt about their superiority.
Mitchell Starc, KKR’s spearhead and a key performer in their previous encounter in Ahmedabad, set the tone from the very first over. Facing Abhishek Sharma, who was sent to open due to the events of Qualifier 1, Starc delivered a masterclass in fast bowling. Delivering one of the finest balls of the tournament, he pitched the ball around the middle-stump and managed to get it to move away just enough to beat Abhishek, who was left squared up as the ball crashed into the top of off stump.
Inspired by Starc’s spectacular start, Vaibhav Arora stepped in and continued the assault. Travis Head, who replaced Sharma, faced Arora’s first delivery, which shaped away and resulted in an edge that was comfortably taken by the wicketkeeper. At this stage, with SRH reeling at six for two, KKR had dismantled the league’s most formidable opening pair, setting the stage for a dominant performance.
Runs were hard to come by for SRH due to the early setbacks. Sticking with their opening bowlers through the powerplay, KKR’s strategy paid off. SRH managed their first boundary only in the third over. Starc, not content with his initial success, returned to dismiss Rahul Tripathi in the fifth over. Tripathi, aiming for a big shot, only managed to top-edge the ball to mid-wicket.
Some respite appeared for SRH when they accumulated 17 runs off the sixth over, bowled by Arora, including the first six of their innings off the bat of Nitish Reddy. However, the KKR bowlers maintained the pressure through the middle overs. Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakaravarthy all contributed significantly, taking wickets and bowling economically to stifle SRH’s run rate.
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After the powerplay, Rana struck again, dismissing Reddy, who edged behind soon after. Russell followed suit by removing Aiden Markram, who misjudged a hit and was caught by Starc at long-on. Shahbaz Ahmed, another key SRH batsman, was caught at short fine-leg early in his innings off Chakaravarthy’s bowling. The KKR bowlers tightened the noose further when Abdul Samad, coming in as SRH’s impact player, fell to Russell, edging behind.
The biggest blow came from Rana, who bowled Heinrich Klaasen in the 15th over, leaving SRH still shy of the 100-mark. Pat Cummins, showing resilience, fought hard to push SRH past three figures. Top-scoring with 24 runs, Cummins tried to extend the innings, especially after being dropped by Starc. Ironically, the innings concluded when Cummins, attempting another big hit, found Starc at long-on in the 19th over.
Chasing a target of 114, KKR’s guns blazed from the second ball of the innings as Rahmanullah Gurbaz dispatched it for four through point. Pat Cummins, putting in an all-round effort, bowled the second over, only to see Narine smashing him for six on the first ball. However, Narine’s aggression led to his downfall as he top-edged a shot to the leg-side while attempting another big hit.
However, there were no further jitters for KKR as Venkatesh Iyer came in and immediately set the pace with two sixes and a four in the very next over. His audacious assault on Bhuvneshwar Kumar was indicative of KKR’s intent. KKR raced to fifty within the first five overs with Venkatesh Iyer leading the charge.
Gurbaz accelerated his scoring rate post-powerplay, especially against the spinners, ensuring that KKR moved past the 100-mark inside nine overs. Gurbaz’s dismissal for 39 was merely a blip on the radar as the Iyer brothers, Shreyas and Venkatesh, skillfully steered their side towards the title.
Venkatesh Iyer, playing a match-defining innings, reached his half-century off just 24 balls and hit the winning runs in the following over. The moment the ball crossed the boundary, the KKR players swarmed the field in jubilation, celebrating their third IPL title and reaffirming their place amongst the elite teams of the IPL. The match ended with KKR cementing their reputation for delivering when it mattered the most and their fans rejoicing in yet another magical season.