KKR vs SRH Highlights, IPL 2024: 3 moments that generated buzz among fans in Qualifier 1
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) steamrolled into the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) final with a convincing win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 21. The Shreyas Iyer-led side made a mockery of the target during the run chase to win by eight wickets with more than six overs to spare.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat first. The explosive duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were ineffective as they departed without adding much to the score. KKR dominated the powerplay while SRH tried to recover in the middle overs.
Rahul Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen had guided SRH to a respectable platform of 101-4 in the 11th over, but it all fell apart for them after the latter's dismissal. Tripathi's run out, coupled with some needless big shots, resulted in a collapse to 126-9 in no time. A cameo by Pat Cummins in the end took the Orange Army to 159 at the end of the innings.
The score hardly proved to be a threat for KKR as they coasted through the run chase. The new opening combination of Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz fared relatively well to give KKR a respectable platform, and that was all they needed.
Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer put on an unbeaten 97-run stand to hand SRH a demoralizing defeat. KKR head to their fourth IPL final, while Pat Cummins and Co. will have to survive Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator.
On that note, let us take a look at three moments that generated buzz among the fans in KKR vs SRH Qualifier 1 clash of the 2024 IPL:
#1 Mitchell Starc castles Travis Head in the first over of the match
The clash began on an eventful note as Mitchell Starc struck with the new ball right away. The left-arm pacer dismissed his national teammate off the second delivery of the match to hand KKR the first breakthrough.
Mitchell Starc swung the ball as Travis Head attempted to go over the infield and get going. Head's bat connected with nothing as he went for a lavish shot, and the ball breached the bat-pad gap to make a huge mess of the stumps.
This marked the second consecutive duck for Head, and the dismissal set the tempo quite well for KKR, who never wavered with the ball in terms of momentum for the rest of the innings.
#2 Rahul Tripathi departs after a major mix-up with Abdul Samad
Rahul Tripathi was SRH's biggest threat in the first innings. The right-handed batter was handed a huge reprieve when Shreyas Iyer opted not to review when Starc had trapped him LBW with a yorker in the powerplay phase. The former KKR batter made the most of the second chance to record a half century.
Just before he could explode as a set batter, and switch gears towards the death overs, he had to depart. His innings came to an unfortunate end following a mix up with Abdul Samad, and Andre Russell's fielding brilliance that led to the decisive run out.
Abdul Samad had guided the ball towards the point and set off for a single. However, Russell made a stunning diving stop to collect the ball and throw it to the wicket-keeper. There was a lot of confusion and hesitation between the batters amid the ball being stopped, and Samad crossed Tripathi midway through the pitch, leading to the latter being run out for 55 runs off 35 deliveries.
#3 Shreyas Iyer finishes things off in style
The middle-order pair of Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer did not give SRH any hope after taking over the proceedings in the middle overs. The duo showed intent from the word go, leaving SRH bowlers helpless.
With the required rate more than manageable and the conditions easing up as well, they made easy work of the run chase and wrapped things up as soon as possible.
The final nail in the coffin fittingly came from skipper Shreyas Iyer's blade. The KKR skipper smashed three mammoth sixes and a four in the 14th over off Travis Head to seal KKR's progress into the finals in some style.