In a decisive victory, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured their place in the final of IPL 2024 with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. KKR’s path to the final was paved by a brilliant performance from their bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc, who dismantled SRH’s top order early in the innings.

Mitchell Starc’s powerplay dominance sets up KKR’s victory

Winning the toss, SRH opted to bat first but found themselves in immediate trouble as Mitchell Starc struck thrice during the powerplay. Travis Head was bowled out for a duck, followed by Abhishek Sharma who was dismissed for just 3 runs. Nitish Reddy, who managed only 9 runs, and Shahbaz Nadeem, who followed him out on the very next delivery, left SRH reeling at 45/4 after six overs.

Despite the early setbacks, Rahul Tripathi stood tall with a resilient knock, scoring 55 off 35 balls. He found some support in Heinrich Klaasen, who contributed 32 off 21 balls. Their 62-run partnership was a rare bright spot in SRH’s innings. However, once Klaasen was dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy, and Tripathi was run out, SRH’s innings quickly unraveled. The lower order couldn’t offer much resistance as Sunil Narine claimed two crucial wickets, including Sanveer Singh for a duck and Abdul Samad for 16. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also fell for a duck, leaving SRH all out for 159.

Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer lead KKR to IPL 2024 final

Chasing a target of 160, KKR started their innings with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine. Gurbaz scored a quick 23 before being dismissed by T. Natarajan, with KKR reaching their 50 in just the fifth over. Narine, who scored 21, was next to fall to Pat Cummins, but by then, KKR was already in a strong position.

The chase was masterfully anchored by Venkatesh Iyer and captain Shreyas Iyer. Venkatesh Iyer scored an unbeaten 51 off 28 balls, while Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a commanding 58 not out off 23 balls. Their unbroken partnership ensured KKR reached the target comfortably in just 13.4 overs, sealing the victory by eight wickets and booking their fourth appearance in an IPL final.

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Sunrisers Hyderabad, though disappointed, will have another shot at making the final when they face the winner of the Eliminator in Chennai on Friday. For now, KKR can celebrate their dominant performance and prepare for the title clash.