The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in the IPL 2024 final, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. This triumph marks KKR’s third IPL title, reinforcing their reputation as one of the league’s most consistent and formidable teams.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, batting first, were bowled out for 113 runs in 18.3 overs, the lowest score ever posted in an IPL final. Pat Cummins stood out for Hyderabad with a top score of 24 runs, while KKR’s Andre Russell delivered a stellar bowling performance, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs.
In response, KKR chased down the target with ease, reaching 114-2 in just 10.3 overs. Shreyas Iyer led the charge with an unbeaten 52*, supported by contributions from his teammates. The victory was sealed quickly, showcasing KKR’s dominance throughout the season.
Winning Captain Shreyas Iyer’s Comments: “Comprehensive victory, to be honest. This is what we demanded from the team and every individual stood up to the occasion. We played like invincibles throughout the season and there is so much to cherish right now. The performance has been flawless throughout. I am running out of words right now. We have been tremendous right from game one, and when we came today all we asked was to back each other. They [Hyderabad] have played some phenomenal cricket throughout and we were lucky enough to bowl first. That’s when all the big players turned up. It was a high-pressure game. All the guys stepped up and made it easy for us to win the game. Every individual has been stepping up at the right time. It has been a flawless season for us and hope we continue the same next year.”
Losing Captain Pat Cummins’ Remarks: “I thought they bowled fantastically. Starcy [Mitchell Starc] turned it on again. [Just] not enough [runs] tonight. [We were] totally outplayed. You hope to get a few boundaries away early on, but they bowled fantastically. Same like they did in Ahmedabad [against Rajasthan]. If we got 160 we would have felt we were in the game. The style the guys played, particularly with the bat. It takes a lot of skill to get 250 three times. You put yourselves out there a fair bit [when you play in that fashion] and how brave the guys were. They took the game on. It was a real pleasure working with some of the more experienced guys and lots of young talent throughout. Had a great couple of months.”
Sunil Narine Named IPL 2024 MVP: Sunil Narine, winning his third IPL MVP award, said, “Coming to the ground today it felt like [the] 2012 final. The feeling is overwhelming. I couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift. I am enjoying my cricket at the moment. What helps is when a team is winning. You have a great bunch of guys who put a lot of work in this season. Shows just how good a team we have. Getting the chance to go out there and express myself and get the team off to a flier. GG [Gautam Gambhir] told me to just go out there and enjoy it. Not asking you to do it all season, but just [for] a few games, so that was really good advice. [Phil] Salt had a great season, but Gurbaz played the [opening] role really well [in his absence]. We are always picking up early wickets, which puts less pressure on us. Picking up early wickets is the key and has helped us win the title.”