IPL 2024 Final: Kolkata Knight Riders secured their third Indian Premier League title by defeating the Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the IPL 2024 final. KKR made a swift start in pursuit of the modest target of 114, accumulating 72 runs during the powerplay despite Sunil Narine’s early dismissal by Pat Cummins in the second over. Venkatesh Iyer played a pivotal role, achieving a fifty, his second in this season’s playoffs.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. Opting to bowl first on a red-soil pitch, every member of their bowling attack seized their moment, causing the formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad batting lineup to crumble to a mere 113 runs. This marked the lowest total ever in an IPL final, paving the way for an easy chase as KKR claimed their third IPL title convincingly.
Mitchell Starc, in particular, set the stage with a remarkable spell of 3-0-14-2, disrupting the opposition’s rhythm. His first over, against Abishek Sharma, consisted of deliveries moving away, often beating the bat or finding the edge. The climax of the over came with a delivery that squared up Abhishek and crashed into the off stump. This pivotal wicket echoed Starc’s earlier feat in the first qualifier when he dismissed Travis Head for a duck.
In his third over, Starc once again toyed with movement, inducing a leading edge from Rahul Tripathi. Amidst Starc’s brilliance, KKR secured another significant wicket with Head departing for a golden duck against Vaibhav Arora. With the score at 23/3 in five overs and only one boundary cleanly struck, KKR achieved the dream start they had hoped for. Their batting display mirrored their dominance, leaving SRH floundering and completely overshadowed.