KKR Ends 10-Year Wait For IPL Trophy With Victory Over SRH

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ended their decade-long wait for the Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday. This win marks KKR's third IPL title, having previously won in 2012 and 2014.

KKR had already shown their dominance by defeating SRH with an eight-wicket victory in the first qualifier on Tuesday. In the final, Mitchell Starc set the tone early by dismissing Abhishek Sharma for two runs off five balls. Rahmanullah Gurbaz then caught Travis Head for a duck, further stifling SRH's batting lineup.

Starc's exceptional bowling performance saw him finish with figures of 2-14. Andre Russell also contributed significantly, taking 3-19 late in the innings. SRH struggled to gain any momentum, with Pat Cummins being their top scorer with 24 runs off 19 balls. SRH ended their innings at a lowly 113 all out in the 19th over.

Despite an early exit by Sunil Narine, KKR's batting lineup remained unshaken. Venkatesh Iyer played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 52 from 26 balls, including three boundaries. Gurbaz added a solid 39 runs to the tally. Shreyas Iyer then sealed the victory with six runs, ensuring KKR crossed the finish line with 57 balls remaining.

2012, 2014, and now 2024! 🏆🏆🏆

Kolkata Knight Riders are your IPL champions once again! pic.twitter.com/9nm5XCx5Pz

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 26, 2024

Data Debrief: KKR Bowlers Shine

Andre Russell has been a standout performer this season, taking 18 wickets—the most he has ever taken in any IPL edition, surpassing his previous best of 17 wickets in 2022. The Sunrisers registered the lowest-ever run total in an IPL final, beating the previous record of 125 runs.

SRH's struggles were evident throughout the season as they lost 29 wickets during powerplay overs in IPL 2024—the highest by any team in this phase this season. This is also the second-highest number of wickets they have lost during powerplay in a single IPL season, following their record of 31 wickets in 2013.

This victory not only highlights KKR's strong performance but also underscores SRH's challenges throughout the season. With this win, KKR has once again proven their mettle in the IPL arena.