Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged as the champions of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in the ultimate title clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday (May 26). This victory marks KKR’s third IPL title, coming a decade after their second triumph in 2014 when they defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir, who is now the mentor of KKR.
Comprehensive victory in the IPL 2024 final
KKR displayed a brilliant all-round performance to crush SRH in the IPL 2024 Final. The bowlers, particularly Andre Russell, Mitchell Starc and Harshit Rana, dismantled SRH’ batting line-up, bundling them out for the lowest total of 113 in IPL final history. Russell and Starc set the tone early, with Starc’s early breakthroughs and Russell’s key wickets ensuring SRH never found their footing.
In response to the modest target of 114, Venkatesh Iyer‘s brilliant unbeaten 52 off 26 balls, alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz‘s innings of 39 off 32 balls, helped KKR chase down the target in just 10.3 overs. Venkatesh’s aggressive batting, marked by 4 fours and 3 sixes, ensured there were no hiccups in the chase, bringing KKR to victory in style.
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Gautam Gambhir’s triumphant return as mentor
Gambhir, who captained KKR to their first two titles in 2012 and 2014, returned this season from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the mentor of the side. After a decade-long title drought, his strategic acumen and leadership transformed the franchise’s fortunes, guiding KKR to their third IPL championship in history.
Shreyas Iyer’s views on Gambhir’s role
On Gambhir’s contribution as the mentor, Captain Shreyas Iyer termed him as one of the finest readers of the game in the T20 format and expressed confidence that KKR would continue their winning momentum with Gambhir’s guidance.
“About Gautam bhai, I feel he has got immense knowledge about how the game is played. He has won two titles previously with KKR, and his strategies have been spot-on in terms of what execution we have to make against the opposition. Hopefully, we keep continuing with the same momentum with his knowledge,” Iyer was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Andre Russell’s key role
All-rounder Russell expressed his joy on winning the final and picking up three wickets during the match. Russell credited Gambhir for KKR’s superb run throughout the season, highlighting that Gambhir was not only their mentor but also a leader in every department. Russell’s crucial wickets and all-around performance were instrumental in KKR’s victory.
“GG [Gautam Gambhir] has not just been a mentor, he’s been a leader in every department for us, and I think that’s what was key to our success. He made sure that every batter and every bowler was playing their part and GG is just an amazing guy to be in any set-up. The support staff always gave us what we wanted, made sure that we were satisfied leaving the nets and everything played a big part leading up to this championship. GG coming back, winning the IPL, amazing support staff, you don’t need anything more than that,” Russell said.
