Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) showcased their bowling prowess in the IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 against SRH. Mitchell Starc led the charge, delivering a devastating spell that left the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) reeling.

Mitchell Starc’s Fiery Starc

Mitchell Starc wasted no time in making an impact. On the second ball of the match, he clean-bowled SRH opener Travis Head, who departed for a two-ball duck. It was a perfect delivery that swung away, sneaking through the gap between Head’s bat and pad to knock over the stumps. This early breakthrough set the tone for KKR’s dominance.

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Early Collapse for SRH

Following Head’s dismissal, SRH’s woes continued. Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi attempted to stabilize the innings, but their efforts were short-lived. Vaibhav Arora joined the attack, dismissing Abhishek Sharma and further deepening SRH’s troubles. Starc wasn’t done yet; he struck again to remove Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed, reducing SRH to a precarious 44/4 by the end of the powerplay.

Middle Order Struggles

As SRH tried to rebuild, KKR’s spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, tightened the noose. Heinrich Klaasen, who had taken Narine for 16 off eight balls, was caught off Varun Chakravarthy’s second delivery. Varun’s consistent performance has been a cornerstone for KKR, with 39 wickets in 27 IPL innings since the start of IPL 2023.

Rahul Tripathi offered some resistance, scoring a spirited 55 off 35 balls. However, a brilliant piece of fielding by Andre Russell resulted in Tripathi’s run-out. SRH’s attempts to counter the collapse by bringing in Sanvir Singh as their Impact Player at No.8 failed, as he was bowled for a duck by Narine. This double strike left SRH in tatters at 123/7.

Lower Order Collapse

With the score at 126 for 9, SRH was staring down the barrel of a sub-140 total. Pat Cummins provided some late fireworks, scoring 30 off 24 balls, but it was too late. SRH were eventually bowled out for 159, a score that seemed below par on a good batting surface.

Starc’s final over saw him claim his third wicket, dismissing Shahbaz Ahmed with a deadly inswinging yorker. His spell of 3/20 was instrumental in dismantling SRH’s batting lineup and earning KKR a significant advantage.

KKR’s Clinical Bowling Performance

Andre Russell and Varun Chakravarthy continued to apply pressure on SRH. With his accurate and deceptive spin, Varun picked up crucial wickets, while Russell’s athleticism in the field contributed to key dismissals. Their combined efforts ensured SRH never got the momentum to post a challenging total.

Despite some late resistance from Cummins, SRH was bundled out for 159. Starc’s brilliant spell and disciplined bowling from the rest of the KKR attack highlighted the team’s comprehensive bowling strategy.

SRH innings progression
Overs 1-7: 50/4 (RR: 7.14)
Overs 8-12: 60/1 (RR: 12.00)
Overs 13-19.3: 49/5 (RR: 6.53)

20 wickets by Varun Chakaravarthy this season is the joint-most for him in an IPL edition. Last year he took 20 wickets as well.

Highest 10th wicket partnership in the IPL
55* – Shikhar Dhawan & M Rathee (PBKS) vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2023
33 – Pat Cummins & V Viyaskanth (SRH) vs KKR, Ahmedabad, 2024*
31* – Tom Curran & Ankit Rajpoot (RR) vs KKR, Dubai, 2020
31 – Andre Russell & CV Varun (KKR) vs DC, Delhi, 2023

Best bowling figures for KKR in the playoffs
4/21 – Sunil Narine vs RCB, Sharjah, 2021
3/13 – Umesh Yadav vs PBKS, Kolkata, 2014
3/20 – Nathan Coulter-Nile vs SRH, Bengaluru, 2017
3/34 – Mitchell Starc vs SRH, Ahmedabad, 2024*
3/35 – Kuldeep Yadav vs SRH, Delhi, 2016