Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched the coveted TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title with a commanding all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final, held at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This thrilling contest saw KKR repeat their 2012 feat at the same venue, scripting a resplendent victory on May 26, 2024, to lift their third IPL trophy. The KKR bowlers set the stage with an exceptional effort, restricting SRH’s high-octane batting lineup to a paltry 113 runs, a target that KKR chased down effortlessly in 10.3 overs with eight wickets to spare.
The atmosphere was electric as both teams took their positions, and SRH won the toss, opting to bat first. Shreyas Iyer, the astute KKR captain, mentioned that he would have preferred to bowl, which aligned perfectly with his bowlers’ subsequent heroics. The opening salvo was delivered by Mitchell Starc, KKR’s spearhead, who had previously earned the ‘Player of the Match’ honors in their earlier bout against SRH in Ahmedabad.
SRH’s innings unravelled rapidly, starting with Abhishek Sharma taking the strike against Starc’s opening over. Starc’s precision was unerring, and the fifth ball of his over turned out to be a gem, pitching around the middle-stump and slightly shaping away to clip the top of off-stump. Abhishek Sharma, renowned for his aggressive starts, was left bamboozled.
Buoyed by Starc’s magical over, Vaibhav Arora further compounded SRH’s woes. Facing his first ball, Travis Head attempted to fend off Arora’s seaming delivery, only to edge it to the waiting hands of the wicketkeeper. At 6 for 2, SRH had lost both their destructive openers, sending ripples of uncertainty through their batting lineup.
KKR’s opening bowlers maintained a stranglehold during the powerplay. Despite SRH managing their first boundary in the third over, Starc struck again in his second over, with Rahul Tripathi’s attempted big hit ending up as a skied catch at mid-wicket. SRH managed a brief respite during the powerplay’s final over, with Nitish Reddy smashing the first six of their innings and garnering 17 runs off Vaibhav Arora’s over.
The middle overs saw KKR’s bowlers persist with their tenacity. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana delivered wicket-taking spells that kept the pressure on SRH. Harshit Rana struck shortly after the powerplay, with Reddy caught behind.
. Russell then dismissed SRH skipper Aiden Markram for 20, who attempted a big shot only to find Starc at long-on.
In another critical blow, Varun Chakaravarthy claimed Shahbaz Ahmed early in his innings with a catch at short fine-leg. The pressure escalated when Abdul Samad, brought in as an impact player, edged Russell to the wicketkeeper. The decisive moment came when Rana bowled Heinrich Klaasen in the 15th over, with SRH struggling to cross the 100-run mark.
Pat Cummins stood as a lone warrior for SRH, finishing with 24 runs, the highest for the team. His fighting spirit ensured SRH reached a three-figure score, especially after being dropped by Starc. Ironically, SRH’s innings concluded when Cummins holed out to Starc at long-on in the 19th over.
KKR’s chase witnessed explosive batting from the outset. Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone with a boundary off the second ball, followed by Sunil Narine smashing Cummins for a six. Although Narine was soon dismissed, Venkatesh Iyer took charge with a display of breathtaking power-hitting. His two sixes and a four in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s over dissipated any jitters within the KKR camp.
With KKR’s fifty coming up within five overs, Gurbaz played a relatively cautious inning compared to Venkatesh, who was in a hurry to finish the match. T Natarajan’s over before the powerplay was especially hard-hit, yielding three fours and a six. KKR rollicked to 72 for one by the end of the powerplay, leaving SRH in tatters.
Gurbaz accelerated after the powerplay once the spinners came on, ensuring KKR crossed the 100-run mark within nine overs. He was eventually dismissed for 39, but KKR was already closing in on victory. The Iyer duo, with Venkatesh at the forefront, sealed the win. Venkatesh brought up his fifty off just 24 balls and hit the winning runs in the next over, prompting the KKR contingent to storm the field in jubilant celebration of their third IPL championship.