In a spectacular finale at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched the prestigious TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title, marking their third triumph in the tournament’s history. On the hallowed grounds where they previously lifted their first trophy in 2012, KKR dominated the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with an all-round performance that will be remembered for years. The final showdown on May 26, 2024, saw KKR execute a flawless strategy, limiting the powerful SRH batting line-up to a mere 113 runs and then chasing down the target with ease, completing the innings in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets remaining.
At the toss, fortunes seemed to favor SRH as they won and opted to bat first. However, Shreyas Iyer, the KKR skipper, expressed his initial desire to bowl, a sentiment vindicated soon after as his team unleashed an impressive bowling display. The charge was led by Mitchell Starc, whose previous stellar performance at Ahmedabad had won him the Player of the Match accolade. Starc opened with a fiery first over, capturing the crucial wicket of Abhishek Sharma with a delivery that was hailed as one of the best in the tournament. The ball, which started around the middle-stump, slightly deviated, bewildering the formidable SRH opener and clipping the top of the off-stump.
Inspired by Starc’s opening salvo, Vaibhav Arora took the ball next and continued the momentum. When Travis Head faced his first delivery, Arora’s precision resulted in an edge that was caught by the wicketkeeper, sending Head back without scoring. The early partnership of Abhishek and Head, feared by many as the tournament’s most destructive opening pair, crumbled at a dismal six for two in the opening overs.
Under pressure, SRH struggled to collect runs as KKR’s bowlers maintained tight lines and relentless pressure during the powerplay. Only in the third over did SRH manage to notch their first boundary. Starc wasn’t finished; he returned in the fifth over to dismiss Rahul Tripathi, who ambitiously attempted a big hit only to sky the ball into waiting hands at mid-wicket.
Despite a brief respite in the powerplay when SRH managed to score 17 runs in the sixth over bowled by Arora, KKR’s bowlers refused to relent. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana delivered significant blows with their wicket-taking spells, further aggravating SRH’s woes. Meanwhile, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy were instrumental in squeezing runs, executing economic spells that stifled any momentum SRH attempted to build.
.
Right after the powerplay, Rana claimed another crucial wicket, catching Nitish Reddy behind. Following this, Andre Russell got captain Aiden Markram dismissed for merely 20 runs. Shahbaz Ahmed fell cheap to Chakaravarthy, with a catch at short fine-leg, while Abdul Samad, who was introduced as an impact player, was also removed dismissively by Russell. A significant blow came in the form of Heinrich Klaasen’s dismissal by Rana in the 15th over when SRH hadn’t even reached the 100-run mark.
SRH’s innings saw a lone fighter in Pat Cummins, who worked hard to drag his team past the hundred-run mark. Cummins led from the front, top-scoring with 24 runs, and battled valiantly, although a dropped catch by Starc prolonged his stay at the crease. However, his efforts concluded in the 19th over when he once again found Starc in the outfield.
In pursuit of their modest target, KKR commenced their innings with a statement. Rahmanullah Gurbaz got the ball rolling by hitting a boundary through point early on. Cummin’s introduction to the bowling crease was met with a massive six over mid-wicket by Sunil Narine, though Narine was soon dismissed attempting a similar shot. Despite that minor setback, Venkatesh Iyer ensured KKR remained ahead of the run rate, hitting two sixes and a boundary in one dynamic over against Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
KKR’s run rate soared with them reaching 50 within the five-over mark. Gurbaz and Iyer formed a formidable partnership, but it was Iyer who was relentless, forcing SRH’s bowlers into submission, particularly targeting the leg side. With successive fours and sixes in Natarajan’s over, KKR ended the powerplay dominantly at 72 for one.
The chase continued in emphatic fashion as KKR steadily marched towards their title. Gurbaz, having played his part by reaching 39 runs, paved the way for the Iyer duo to complete the formality. Venkatesh Iyer reached his half-century with another commanding shot, achieving his 50 in just 24 deliveries. He sealed KKR’s victory in the following over, leading to jubilant celebrations as the Kolkata Knight Riders lifted their third IPL trophy, solidifying their place among the elite in IPL history.