Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched the coveted TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title with a powerful all-round display against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an electrifying final held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 26, 2024. In a poetic turn of events, KKR had last lifted the trophy at this very venue in 2012 to mark their first title win, and they repeated history to secure their third IPL championship this year.
The showdown began with SRH winning the toss and opting to bat first. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer expressed that he too would have preferred to bowl first, a sentiment that was elegantly justified by the stellar performance of his bowlers. The KKR bowling unit left no stone unturned in restricting a potent SRH batting line-up to a modest 113, which the KKR batsmen chased down convincingly in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets in hand.
Mitchell Starc, one of the key players who previously turned the tide in favor of KKR in their meeting at Ahmedabad, kicked off the innings with the ball. Starc displayed a virtuoso performance in his opening over, dismissing Abhishek Sharma with a ball that was arguably one of the finest deliveries of the season. Abhishek, in an attempt to negotiate a delivery that pitched on middle-stump and slightly swerved away, was clean bowled, leaving SRH at an early disadvantage.
Vaibhav Arora backed Starc’s fiery start with an equally lethal spell. When Travis Head came to face his first ball, he was undone by a delivery that shaped away, resulting in an edge that was comfortably pouched by the wicketkeeper. This early double strike left SRH reeling at six for two, having lost their stalwarts up front.
SRH struggled to find momentum in the initial overs as KKR’s bowlers kept a tight grip. The first boundary came only in the third over, serving a reminder of the lengths KKR was willing to go to dominate. Starc wasn’t finished yet; he returned to claim the wicket of Rahul Tripathi in the fifth over with a delivery that tempted a lofted shot only to be caught at mid-wicket.
The sixth over provided some much-needed respite for SRH as they plundered 17 runs off Arora’s spell. Nitish Reddy managed to dispatch the ball for a maximum. However, this brief flurry was short-lived as KKR continued their onslaught through disciplined attacks.
. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana delivered further blows in the middle overs. Russell sent Aiden Markram packing for a score of 20, caught by Starc at long-on, while Rana dismissed Reddy soon after the powerplay. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy supported with highly economical overs, ensuring SRH never got back on track.
SRH’s innings climaxed at nine down with a mere 113 runs on the board. Pat Cummins, in a valiant effort, held the innings together and top-scored with 24. He endeavored to extend his team’s innings even after being dropped by Starc, only for the innings to eventually end when he holed out to Starc yet again in the 19th over.
The KKR run-chase kicked off aggressively with Rahmanullah Gurbaz piercing the field for a four off the second ball. Sunil Narine joined the fray in the second over, launching Cummins’ first ball over mid-wicket for a six. However, Narine’s run was cut short as he was caught attempting another big shot. Whatever nerves KKR might have felt were quickly dispelled by Venkatesh Iyer’s onslaught in the subsequent overs.
Iyer, with an evident sense of urgency, smashed two sixes and a four in a single over, making bold statements against Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s deliveries. This explosive start ensured that KKR rocketed to 50 runs within just five overs, with Iyer leading the charge and Gurbaz playing the anchor role effectively. The final powerplay over, bowled by T Natarajan, saw another 18 runs being added, showcasing Iyer’s dominance particularly through the leg-side.
Post-powerplay, the KKR batsmen encountered spinners but continued maintaining the high run rate, surpassing the 100-run mark in no time. Gurbaz, who scored 39, fell short just as KKR neared their target, paving the way for the Iyer duo to steer the team to victory. Venkatesh Iyer reached his half-century in just 24 balls, epitomizing his aggressive strategy throughout the innings. It was fittingly Iyer who hit the winning runs, confirming KKR’s assertive eight-wicket win and their third IPL title.
As the KKR players stormed the field, fireworks lit up the Chennai sky, sealing a night to remember for the Kolkata Knight Riders and their supporters, marking yet another glorious chapter in the franchise’s storied history.