A dynamic performance from Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 1 saw them make it to the Final of the IPL 2024. The Shreyas Iyer-led side was phenomenal with both and ball as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets to make it to their fourth final in the history of the tournament. Mitchell Starc started the fireworks earlier in the day and it ended with Iyer smashing back-to-back sixes to help KKR make it to the summit clash.
Interestingly, Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first, which arguably cost them the match. On November 19, 2023, Cummins took a brave call and decided to bowl first against India in the ODI World Cup finale but this time, on the same ground, he got it wrong as dew in the end played a significant part.
Meanwhile, Starc was phenomenal with the new ball as he picked up three wickets in the powerplay. The Australia international was criticised for having a poor season so far but he stepped up at the right time to give KKR a good start in Qualifier 1. However, SRH found some momentum when Rahul Tripathi was batting alongside Heinrich Klaasen. They recovered well but Klaasen couldn’t make it big.
Also Read - Mitchell Starc dislodges Travis Head's timber to go big in IPL 2024 Qualifier 1
Soon after that, due to a miscommunication with Abdul Samad, Tripathi went back to the pavilion after scoring 55 runs off 35 balls. After that, wickets fell like a house of cards. Pat Cummins did try his best in the end but SRH could post only 160 runs.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine gave KKR the perfect start as they played an aggressive brand of cricket, which gave the team much-needed momentum. However, none of them could make the most of it but it was no problem for the two-time champions. Venkatesh Iyer smashed 51* runs off 28 balls while Shreyas Iyer hit 58* runs off 24 balls to help them win it pretty comfortably.
1. Mitch-hell Starc demolishes SRH’s strength
Hyderabad’s biggest strength this year has been their opening pair. However, neither Travis Head nor Abhishek Sharma could make a mark as Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc. Head departed in the second ball of the match while Sharma could make only three runs. Starc also picked up the wicket of Nitish Reddy in the powerplay and that seemed to have determined the game. SRH tried their best to recover from the wrath but they simply couldn’t.
2. Tripathi’s bravery and heartbreak
Despite losing four wickets in the powerplay, Tripathi didn’t show signs of slowing down. He stepped up for SRH at a very difficult time and bailed them out with a half-century. Even though they lost a lot of wickets, Tripathi didn’t compromise on his strike rate, which is a massive plus point. However, the day didn’t end well for him as the cricketer was run out, following which, he looked absolutely devastated.
3. Iyer brothers win it for KKR
Shreyas Iyer’s form was a massive concern for KKR. The skipper did well in bits and pieces but consistency was what he was lacking. However, just when KKR needed him, he stepped up and hit an incredible half-century to win the game. Venkatesh Iyer, on the other hand, once again played a decisive knock. He let Shreyas Iyer settle down and took care of the business at one point and after which, the duo ended the match with some blistering hits.
Losing skipper Pat Cummins said:
Yeah we will try to put this behind quickly, good thing we will have a crack at it (second qualifier). You have those days in T20 cricket where things doesn't quite work out. We weren't where we wanted with the bat and obviously couldn't do much with the ball. Felt that extra batting was important (picking the impact sub) on this wicket. Thought KKR bowled really well, there was a little bit in it early on and the surface got better. We all have played enough cricket, and going to a new venue (Chennai) helps us as well, so we gotta keep this behind and move on.
Winning skipper Shreyas Iyer said:
Elated by the performance, the responsibility was important, we stood for each other, extremely happy with the performances. The rejuvenation was important for us. When you travel so much. It's important to stay in the present. Today was the day we had to maximise, we did it and that's what we thrive on. I think the way every bowler stood up to this occasion, the way they came in and took wickets, that was imperative. The attitude and approach of all bowlers was to take wickets and they did. When you have a variety in the bowling line-up, it's mesmerising. They have been true in terms of their work ethics, hopefully we keep performing. It was Gurbaz's first game and he gave an impactful start. We had to make sure we carry forward the same run rate. I don't know tamil, I understand. Venky speaks in tamil, I reply in hindi. We need to be in our zone in the final.
POTM Mitchell Starc said:
We know how important the powerplay is. These were the two sides who have dominated in the powerplay. We needed to pick early wickets. The way Head and Abhishek have been playing, they like width and free their arms. The spinners were effective and the whole bowling department was bang on. Got lucky I guess (Head) was nice to see his back early, not always the case. They are exciting to watch and are talented, they are skillful. It's good to see how they hard they train. Harshit has been phenomenal.
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