The IPL 2024 final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai was electrifying. With fans on the edge of their seats, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) set the stage ablaze by reducing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to a precarious position early in the match.

Toss and Team Strategies

Winning the toss, SRH captain opted to bat first, hoping to put up a challenging total on the board. KKR’s bowlers, spearheaded by the fiery Mitchell Starc, executed their plans perfectly. SRH reeled at 21 for three within the first five overs, thanks to some exceptional bowling.

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Mitchell Starc’s Magic

The most expensive player of IPL 2024, Mitchell Starc, lived up to his billing by claiming the prized wicket of SRH opener Abhishek Sharma in the first over. Starc’s good length delivery, angling in and pitching on the middle stump, left Sharma stranded without footwork, resulting in an easy dismissal. Sharma, who had a stellar season, could only manage two runs off 5 balls.

Vaibhav Arora Joins the Party

Vaibhav Arora sent Travis Head back to the pavilion for a duck in the next over. The away-swinger found Head’s faint edge, which keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz comfortably caught. With both openers dismissed within the first two overs, SRH’s innings was in tatters.

SRH’s Struggle for Stability

The quick fall of wickets continued to plague SRH. Despite a few boundaries from Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram, the team needed help finding stability. Tripathi’s dismissal, courtesy of another brilliant delivery from Starc, left SRH at 23 for three.

Rahul Tripathi’s Short Stay

Trying to guide the ball through the leg side, Tripathi got a thick top edge that Mandeep Singh caught near the square leg. His departure for 9 runs put SRH in a deeper hole.

Aiden Markram’s Resilience

Aiden Markram attempted to anchor the innings with a few crucial boundaries, but the relentless pressure from KKR’s bowlers made it difficult to build a substantial partnership with Nitish Reddy. But Nitish Reddy is caught behind on the last ball of Harshit Rana’s first over, adding Rana to the list of successful KKR bowlers. Once again, an away-swinger does the trick for a KKR pacer. SRH stand at 47/4 after 7 overs.

Reddy c Gurbaz b Rana 13(10)

Lowest Powerplay scores for SRH in IPL 2024
37/2 vs RR Hyderabad
40/3 vs PBKS Mullanpur
40/3 vs KKR Chennai *
45/4 vs KKR Ahmedabad

Mitchell Starc
World Cup 2023
Group stage: 10 wkts in 8 matches
Knockouts: 6 wkts in 2 matches
IPL 2024
Group stage: 12 wkts in 12 matches
Play Offs: 5* wkts in 2 matches