The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) displayed a sterling all-round performance to capture the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title, overpowering the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The illustrious venue, which saw KKR’s maiden triumph in 2012, turned auspicious once again on May 26, 2024, as the Knights celebrated their third title win. The KKR bowlers’ disciplined effort restricted the SRH to a paltry 113 runs, a target that the Knight Riders chased down effortlessly in just 10.3 overs, securing a dominant eight-wicket victory.
During the toss, KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer expressed a preference to bowl first, a wish granted when SRH won the toss and opted to bat. The KKR bowlers responded to their captain’s faith with an exceptional performance, spearheaded by Mitchell Starc, who had earlier been the Player of the Match in the sides’ previous encounter in Ahmedabad.
Starting the innings for SRH was Abhishek Sharma, who faced the first delivery from Starc. The left-arm pacer, getting notable swing right away, posed early challenges for Sharma. In a dramatic turn, Starc bowled a delivery that veered away slightly from middle-stump, deceiving Sharma entirely and striking the top of off-stump. This dream delivery set the tone for KKR with Sharma back in the dugout.
Keeping the pressure high, Vaibhav Arora joined the attack. When Travis Head, one of SRH’s most dangerous batsmen, faced his first ball, Arora got one to shape away, enticing an edge that got safely into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. With SRH reeling at 6 for 2, their formidable opening pair was sent back within moments.
The KKR pace attack did not relent, with boundaries hard to come by for SRH. Continuing the assault, Starc managed to get Rahul Tripathi to sky a ball to mid-wicket in the fifth over for yet another breakthrough. The only minor respite in the powerplay came when Nitish Reddy hit Starc for a six, collecting 17 runs off the sixth over. Nevertheless, SRH’s struggles continued as other KKR bowlers tied them down.
In the middle stages, KKR introduced their varied bowling attack to keep applying pressure. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana snared crucial wickets, with economical spells from Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy stifling any recovery.
. Reddy fell to Rana immediately after the powerplay, while Russell dismissed Aiden Markram cheaply, caught by Starc at long-on.
Shahbaz Ahmed was the next to fall, caught at short fine-leg off Chakaravarthy’s bowling. Abdul Samad, playing as an impact player, was caught behind off Russell, further sinking SRH’s hopes. Heinrich Klaasen’s dismissal by Rana in the 15th over was a significant blow; with SRH failing to even breach the 100-run mark by that stage.
Pat Cummins, despite a lone battle, tried to bring legitimacy to the SRH innings. He top-scored with 24 and pushed the team past the century mark. Ironically, after being dropped by Starc once, Cummins’s innings concluded when he found the same fielder at long-on in the 19th over, wrapping up SRH’s innings at 113.
KKR’s chase got off to a brisk start. Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck a four off the second ball, and Narine followed with a six the next over. Although Narine fell on his next big hit attempt, Venkatesh Iyer ensured there were no jitters with a flurry of boundaries and sixes. His dominance particularly shone through against Bhuvneshwar Kumar, signaling KKR’s aggressive intent.
With KKR’s half-century coming up inside five overs, the chase became a formality. Gurbaz played sensibly, allowing Iyer to play the aggressor. The duo accumulated quick runs, especially targeting spinners as KKR crossed the 100-run threshold inside nine overs. Gurbaz was dismissed for 39, but the victory was already within touching distance.
Venkatesh Iyer’s blistering fifty, scored in just 24 balls, paved the way for a swift win. He hit the winning runs in the 11th over, leading to jubilation amongst KKR players who stormed the field to celebrate their deserved IPL triumph.
In the end, the comprehensive eight-wicket victory was a testament to KKR’s well-rounded cricketing prowess, making them the deserving champions of the TATA IPL 2024. The win etched their name in the annals of IPL history as one of the truly dominant teams, having now collected three coveted titles.