The East Indian state of West Bengal may be waiting for the landfall of Cyclone Remal but kilometres away Venkatesh Iyer played a stormy knock of 26-ball 52 which ensured Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in a one-sided final to clinch their third title in Chennai on Sunday.
After restricting SRH to 113 runs, the lowest target set in an IPL final, Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen went to the field with victory in their minds and reached 114 runs by losing just two wickets.
Afghanistani cricketer Rahmanullah Gurbaz (39) provided KKR a strong start by adding 39 runs with his bat.
Sunil Narine’s magical willow did not sparkle with SRH skipper Pat Cummins picking up his wicket to give an early blow to the Shah Rukh Khan-owned squad.
Narine contributed six runs.
The only striking moment in his knock was hitting a six outside the park but Cummins ensured drawing the first blood to give his side an outside chance.
Last November, it was Cummins and his men who silenced the crowd in Ahmedabad when Australia beat India in the World Cup final to add another feather to their crown.
This time, Cummins was unable to repeat his leadership luck as
Venkatesh Iyer hammered a brutal 52 runs to ensure KKR’s victory.
Shahbaz Ahmed dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz but it was too late to create any difference to KKR’s hunt for their third trophy.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer (6*) and Iyer ensured KKR reached the target with eight wickets and 57 balls to spare.
Backed by a spirited performance by bowlers, Kolkata Knight Riders bowled out Sunrisers Hyderabad for 113 runs in the final match of the cash-rich Indian Premier League in Chennai on Sunday (May 26, 2024).
This is the lowest target set by a team in an IPL final.
West Indian all-rounder Andr Russell dominated the show and scalped three wickets while Australian Mitchell Starc and Harshit Rana took two wickets each.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins, who led Australia last year to World Cup victory against India in Ahemadabad, looked the only bright spot in the batting lineup as he contributed 24 runs.
He hammered two boundaries and a six in his innings.
Cummins’ late onslaught was enough to ensure SRH posted a target over the 100-run mark.
Aiden Markram remained the second top contributor for the side with his 20.