The Indian Premier League 2024 came to a riveting conclusion with the final clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26.

The Opening Gambit: Early Wickets and Nerve-Wracking Moments

The final began with Sunrisers Hyderabad winning the toss and electing to bat first. However, their start wasn’t ideal as they lost early wickets, struggling to find momentum against Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling attack. Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Arora wreaked havoc, dismissing key batsmen and restricting Sunrisers to a modest total in the powerplay overs.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings commenced with Abhishek Sharma and Head at the crease. However, their partnership was short-lived as Abhishek Sharma fell to Starc in the first over itself, departing for just 2 runs. Following his dismissal, Head departed without troubling the scorers, courtesy of Vaibhav Arora’s brilliant delivery. With early blows, Sunrisers found themselves reeling at 6 for 2 in just the second over.

Tripathi tried to stabilize the innings alongside Markram, but their partnership failed to gather momentum. Tripathi’s departure in the fifth over further deepened Sunrisers’ woes. Markram showed some resistance with a gritty knock of 20 runs, but his dismissal at the hands of Russell dented Sunrisers’ hopes of setting a competitive total.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Middle-Order Struggle

Despite the early setbacks, Sunrisers’ middle-order batsmen tried to stabilize the innings, with Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen showing resilience. However, Kolkata’s bowlers continued to apply pressure, not allowing the Sunrisers’ batsmen to break free. The middle overs proved to be challenging for Sunrisers as they struggled to accelerate the scoring rate.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers displayed exceptional skill and discipline, maintaining tight lines and exploiting the conditions effectively. Starc’s fiery spell, combined with Arora’s controlled bowling, put Sunrisers under immense pressure right from the start. Their early breakthroughs set the tone for Kolkata’s dominance in the match.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Bowling Efforts

Sunrisers Hyderabad, despite facing an uphill battle defending a below-par total, displayed commendable effort with the ball. Pat Cummins led the bowling attack admirably, picking up crucial wickets to keep his team in the hunt. However, Kolkata Knight Riders’ batsmen remained undeterred, showcasing their depth and resilience to emerge victorious.

The Final Hit of the IPL Match

In the end, it was Kolkata Knight Riders’ clinical performance that sealed the deal. Needing just 114 runs to win, they chased down the target comfortably with plenty of overs to spare. Mitchell Starc’s all-round brilliance earned him the Player of the Match award, capping off a memorable campaign for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024.

• Sunrisers Hyderabad: 113 all out in 18.3 overs
• Kolkata Knight Riders: 114 for 2 in 10.3 overs

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