KKR crowned IPL 2024 champions after lopsided final in Chennai

In a lopsided IPL 2024 final in Chennai, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets at the M A Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday night (May 26).

Also read: IPL 2024 awards full list

With this convincing win, KKR won their third IPL title, adding to the successes they had in 2012 and 2014.

Chasing a meagre total of 114, KKR cruised to victory in just 10.3 overs. Venkatesh Iyer top-scored with an unbeaten 52 off 26 with four fours and three sixes. He hit the winning run off Shahbaz Ahmed in the 11th over.

Throughout IPL 2024, KKR dominated with just three losses and capped it off in the same way, calling the shots in the title clash.

Starc shines

Earlier, Mitchell Starc justified his Rs 24.75 crore costliest-ever player tag with a magical delivery as KKR produced a complete bowling performance to dismantle SRH for a paltry 113.

This is the lowest-ever total by a team in an IPL final as SRH were shot out in 18.3 overs.

Starc (2/14), who peaked at the right time after a disappointing league phase, made full use of overcast conditions as league’s break-out youngster Abhishek Sharma (2) got one that swung late, drawing him forward. The delivery eluded the outside edge of Abhishek's bat and clipped the off-bail.

The delivery could have got any batter out and it was just that the unfortunate Abhishek's name was written on it on the day.

It was the kind of ball that would always send shivers down the spine of those sitting in the dug-out and even Travis Head (0), who had a forgettable business end in this IPL, wasn't left behind.

Head's three ducks

Vaibhav Arora, who bowls at barely 130 clicks, also made full use of conditions and got one on fuller length delivery to shape away from Head, who could only nick it to stumper Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Head now has three ducks in his last four games.

Rahul Tripathi (9) was busy and fidgety and the extra pace and bounce did him in when Starc fired one which held its angular trajectory and hit Tripathi's willow at a place which was touch above the sweet spot as the shot ballooned up.

Ramandeep Singh completed the catch and by the time Powerplay ended, SRH were 40 for 3. Starc’s first spell read 3-0-14-2.

Once the Powerplay was ended, Heinrich Klaasen (16 off 17 balls) was left to do the heavy lifting with Harshit Rana (2/24 in 4 overs) and Andre Russell (3/19 in 2.3 overs) tightening the noose in the middle overs with wickets of Nitish Reddy (13) and Aiden Markram (20) respectively to effectively end SRH's challenge.

At 62 for 5, there weren’t any hopes of a fightback in SRH camp as the ruthlessness of KKR pace battery aided by extra bounce and movement in the air and a shade off the pitch made a lot of difference.

(With agency inputs)