• Source:JND
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An inspired performance in the night of the final by KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) helped them lift their third Indian Premier League title on Sunday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. 

Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell led KKR's bowling's attack to restict SRH to 113/10 in 18.3 overs. In response, KKR finished the chase in just 10.3 overs. During the chase, it was a Venkatesh Iyer show as he notched up a 24-ball fifty to keep KKR's dressing relaxed throughout.

On a slow track, which offered something for pace and spin alike, KKR bowlers made the most of it. Starc (2/14), who hit peak form at just the right moment after a lackluster league phase, fully exploited the overcast conditions in the IPL 2024 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

In the first over, he bowled a late-swinging delivery to the league's breakout youngster Abhishek Sharma (2), which drew the batter forward, missed the outside edge, and clipped the off-bail. The delivery, which could have dismissed any top-order batter, marked an unfortunate end for Abhishek on that day.

Travis Head (0), experiencing a forgettable end to his IPL campaign, was the next to fall. Vaibhav Arora, bowling at a modest 130 km/h, utilized the conditions perfectly, delivering a fuller-length ball that shaped away from Head, who edged it to wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz. This dismissal added to Head's woes, giving him three ducks in his last four games.

Rahul Tripathi (9) looked busy but unsettled, and Starcโ€™s pace and bounce proved too much. A delivery that retained its angular trajectory struck Tripathi's bat just above the sweet spot, ballooning the ball into the air for Ramandeep Singh to complete the catch. By the end of the Powerplay, SRH was struggling at 40 for 3, with Starcโ€™s initial spell of 3-0-14-2 justifying his hefty Rs 24.75 crore price tag.

Post-Powerplay, Heinrich Klaasen (16 off 17 balls) attempted to anchor the innings but faced tough resistance from Harshit Rana (2/24 in 4 overs) and Andre Russell (3/19 in 2.3 overs). The duo tightened the grip in the middle overs, dismissing Nitish Reddy (13) and Aiden Markram (20), which effectively extinguished SRH's hopes.

Brief scores:

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 113 all out in 18.3 overs (Pat Cummins 24; Mitchell Starc 2/14, Andre Russell 3/19, Harshit Rana 2/24).

Kolkata Knight Riders: 114 for 2 in 10.3 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 52 not out).