May 26, 2024

Team Updates: Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2024 Match 74

Who was the Player of the Match in KKR and SRH’s previous meeting?

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured their third TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a commanding all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This victory was particularly special for Kolkata Knight Riders as it marked an encore of their maiden title win at the same ground in 2012. On May 26, 2024, KKR restricted SRH to a mere 113 runs and comfortably chased down the target in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets.

KKR captain Shreyas Iyer preferred to bowl first at the toss, though SRH won and opted to bat. Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers rose to the occasion with an outstanding display spearheaded by Mitchell Starc. Starc, the Player of the Match, led the charge again in their previous encounter in Ahmedabad.

With the memory of Qualifier 1 fresh, Sunrisers Hyderabad sent Abhishek Sharma to open instead of Travis Head, as Starc took the new ball. In the very first over, Starc showcased his skill, delivering one of the tournament’s best balls. A perfectly shaped delivery pitched around the middle stump and just nipped away to clip the top of the off-stump, dismissing the dangerous Abhishek. The relentless bowling attack of Kolkata Knight Riders set the tone for a dominant win.

Which oversaw SRH’s first boundary?

Buoyed by Mitchell Starc’s electrifying over, Vaibhav Arora produced his own moment of brilliance. Facing his first ball, Travis Head saw Arora get the ball to shape away, resulting in an edge to the wicketkeeper. At six for two, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had already landed two significant blows, dismissing SRH’s dangerous opening pair.

Runs were hard to come by for SRH as Kolkata Knight Riders stuck with their opening bowlers throughout the powerplay. SRH managed their first boundary only in the third over. Starc wasn’t finished yet—he returned in the fifth over to claim Rahul Tripathi, who skied a ball to mid-wicket while attempting a big shot.

There was brief relief for SRH in the sixth over, as they managed 17 runs off Arora, including the first six of their innings by Nitish Reddy. However, the middle overs saw KKR’s bowlers maintain the pressure. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana picked up crucial wickets, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy kept the run flow in check with tight, economical spells, ensuring Kolkata Knight Riders remained firmly in control of the match.

How did Rana impact the game in the 15th over?

Reddy was caught behind off Harshit Rana shortly after the powerplay, as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) continued to dominate. Andre Russell struck, dismissing Aiden Markram for 20, who holed out to Mitchell Starc at long-on.

KKR tightened their grip further when Shahbaz Ahmed was caught at short fine-leg off Varun Chakaravarthy early in his innings. Abdul Samad, SRH’s impact player, followed soon after, caught behind off Russell. The most significant blow came in the 15th when Rana bowled Heinrich Klaasen, leaving SRH yet to cross 100 runs.

Pat Cummins fought valiantly to drag SRH past the three-figure mark, finishing as their top scorer with 24. He extended SRH’s innings after being dropped by Starc at long-on. Still, ironically, Starc ended the innings by catching Cummins at long-on in the 19th over. Kolkata Knight Riders maintained control throughout, sealing the fate of SRH.

Why was KKR’s powerplay performance so dominant?

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) run-chase began with Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashing the second ball through point for four. Pat Cummins bowled the second over. Sunil Narine made an early statement by hitting a massive six over mid-wicket. However, in his attempt to clear the boundary again, Narine top-edged the ball and was caught on the leg side. Any jitters KKR might have had quickly disappeared when Venkatesh Iyer took charge in the next over, hammering Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two sixes and a four. The two towering sixes down the ground set the tone for the rest of the chase.

KKR’s run-chase accelerated rapidly, reaching fifty inside just five overs. Gurbaz played a more controlled role while Venkatesh Iyer was hurrying to finish things. The final over of the powerplay, bowled by T Natarajan, saw Venkatesh strike three fours and a six, mainly targeting the leg side. By the end of the powerplay, Kolkata Knight Riders had raced to 72 for one.

There was no stopping KKR as Gurbaz shifted gears after the powerplay, especially when the spinners came on, helping the team pass the 100-run mark inside nine overs. Gurbaz was eventually dismissed for 39, but by then, KKR was well on their way to victory.

The Iyer duo, led by Venkatesh, ensured Kolkata Knight Riders sealed their third IPL title in style. Venkatesh reached his half-century off just 24 balls and hit the winning runs in the next over, sparking wild celebrations as KKR clinched their crowning glory once again.