IPL 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders secure spot in final with dominant 8-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published May 21, 2024, 11:08 PM ISTThe Kolkata Knight Riders have advanced to the IPL 2024 final after a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first qualifier. Their bowlers set the stage, and the batters chased down the target of 160 with 38 balls to spare, ensuring a spot in the final.
The Kolkata Knight Riders have secured a spot in the IPL 2024 final with a dominant performance in the first qualifier. They defeated the Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets, advancing directly to the final. Their bowlers set the stage before the batters successfully chased down the target of 160 with 38 balls to spare. Sunrisers Hyderabad will now face the winner of the Eliminator on Friday.
Chasing 160, Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave KKR a blazing start, taking on SRH's new-ball bowlers and scoring rapidly in the powerplay. They added 44 runs for the first wicket before Gurbaz (23) fell in the fourth over. Venkatesh Iyer joined Narine, and the Knight Riders reached 63 by the end of the powerplay. Narine (21) was dismissed in the seventh over.
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Skipper Shreyas Iyer then joined Venkatesh, and together they kept SRH at bay. They quickly added 50 runs and ensured SRH couldn’t make a comeback. Venkatesh reached his fifty in 28 balls, while Shreyas got his in 23 balls. Both remained unbeaten, with Venkatesh scoring 51 and Shreyas 58, as KKR chased down the total in just 13.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.
Earlier, Mitchell Starc dismantled SRH's top order with the new ball after KKR chose to bowl first. He dismissed Travis Head for a golden duck in the first over, and Vaibhav Arora removed Abhishek Sharma (3) in the second over. SRH’s openers fell for single-digit scores for the first time in IPL 2024. Starc further struck by dismissing Nitish Reddy (9) and Shahbaz Ahmed (0) on consecutive deliveries.
Rahul Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen attempted to rebuild SRH's innings with a counter-attacking partnership, adding 50 runs quickly. Klaasen (32) fell after a 62-run stand, and Tripathi, who scored 55, was run out after a mix-up. Skipper Pat Cummins added a valuable 30 before SRH was all out for 159.
All six KKR bowlers took at least one wicket, with Mitchell Starc standing out, claiming three wickets for 34 runs in his four overs. Varun Chakaravarthy also bowled economically, taking 2/26. The Iyer duo then guided KKR to victory, ensuring their place in the IPL 2024 final.
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