IPL 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders storm into final with dominant win over Sunrisers Hyderabad

1. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have secured their place in the final of IPL 2024 with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the first qualifier. This impressive win sees KKR booking their fourth appearance in an IPL final, as they continue their quest for another championship title.

2. SRH captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bat first, aiming to set a challenging target for KKR. However, their decision quickly backfired as Mitchell Starc delivered a sensational opening spell.

Mitchell Starc struck in the very first over, removing Travis Head for a golden duck. Vaibhav Arora then compounded SRH's woes by dismissing Abhishek Sharma for just three runs in the second over.

Starc continued his fiery performance, claiming two more wickets in quick succession. Nitish Reddy fell for nine, and Shahbaz Ahmed was out for a golden duck, leaving SRH reeling at 15 for 4.

Mitchell Starc was breathing fire in the powerplay and reduced SRH to 45/4, the damage was done by the Australian pacer and SRH couldn't never find their way back after this mayhem. 

Faced with a dire situation, Rahul Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen mounted a spirited fightback. The pair counter-attacked, adding 62 runs in quick time to stabilize the innings.

Klaasen looked in fine touch, but his aggressive approach led to his downfall, caught in the deep for 32. Tripathi, however, remained undeterred and continued to anchor the innings. Tripathi's resilience paid off as he reached his half-century, but a mix-up with his partner led to his unfortunate run-out for 55. Despite his efforts, SRH's batting lineup struggled to find momentum.

KKR's chase began with a bang as Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched a blistering attack on SRH's new-ball bowlers. The pair put on 44 runs for the first wicket before Gurbaz was dismissed for 23 in the fourth over.

Venkatesh Iyer joined Narine at the crease and maintained the aggressive tempo. Narine fell for 21, but KKR continued to dominate, reaching 63 at the end of the powerplay.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer then joined the party, partnering with Venkatesh to keep the scoreboard ticking. Both batsmen played with intent, putting on a rapid 50-run partnership to thwart any hopes of an SRH comeback. Venkatesh brought up his fifty in just 28 balls, showcasing his ability to handle pressure situations. Shreyas was equally impressive, reaching his half-century in just 23 balls. Their unbeaten 97-run partnership guided KKR to victory in just 13.4 overs.