Shreyas Iyer, Mitchell Iyer led KKR brilliantly in 2024 season of the IPL. (Source: X.com)The Shreyas Iyer-led Kolkata Knight Riders outplayed Sunrisers Hyderabad to win the 2024 IPL season, claiming their third title. Although Iyer had a modest season with the bat, scoring 351 runs in 14 group stage matches, his leadership was crucial for KKR. And he did deliver with the bat in Qualifier 1.
Iyer’s captaincy played an important role in KKR’s success, guiding the team to nine wins out of 14 group stage matches. His strategic decisions and effective bowler rotations, particularly during the playoffs, showcased his capabilities as a captain. Under Iyer’s leadership, KKR appeared cohesive and formidable throughout the season.
“We played like invincibles throughout the season,” said an emotional Iyer. “There’s so much to cherish right now. It is pleasing; the performance has been flawless throughout. I am running out of words right now. We have been tremendous from game one, and we stepped up today. All we demanded from ourselves was to back each other, whatever the situation is.”
Mitchell Starc set the tone for the match with a brilliant spell of 3-0-14-2, unsettling the opposition from the start. His first over against Abhishek Sharma featured a series of away-swinging deliveries. The decisive moment came with the fifth delivery, which started on middle and leg, pitched on a good length, and squared Abhishek up before hitting the off stump. This dismissal was reminiscent of Starc’s performance in the first qualifier, where he bowled Travis Head for a duck.
In his third over, Starc continued to exploit the movement and induced a leading edge from Rahul Tripathi, resulting in a catch. Meanwhile, KKR secured another crucial wicket with Head being caught behind for a golden duck off Vaibhav Arora’s delivery. With SRH at 23/3 after five overs, and only one of their boundaries well-timed, KKR achieved a perfect start.
SRH continued to lose wickets, collapsing to 77/7. A late cameo from Pat Cummins, who scored 24 off 19 balls, helped SRH reach a total of 113. Andre Russell also contributed significantly, finishing with three wickets.
“We lost the toss and got to use the ball first. Having watched the match a few nights ago here, not really knowing what the wicket was going to do, it was about adapting,” said Starc after bagging the Player of the Match award. “Shreyas (Iyer) was fantastic with the way he used the bowlers and fields. Credit to him. The bowling unit showed all the skills. It’s been a long time since I have played in the IPL. I am experienced; that helped with all the expectations. Glad that I am experienced and older.”