Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) concluded their remarkable run in the IPL 2024 season with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a one-sided final at Chepauk on Sunday, May 26.

After being asked to bowl first, KKR bowled out SRH for just 113 runs in 18.3 overs. Mitchell Starc and Andre Russell shared five wickets, while young bowlers Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora took three wickets between them.

In response, KKR chased down the target comfortably in 10.3 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 39 off 32 balls at the top, and Venkatesh Iyer remained unbeaten on 52 off 26 balls to secure the win.

Following their triumphant campaign, KKR players emphasized the crucial contributions of mentor Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar in molding the team into a championship-winning squad.

“I cannot tell how happy I am,” said Harshit Rana, who took two wickets in the final. Meanwhile, an emotional Russell struggled to find words, saying, “No words to describe. It means so much. I am happy that all of us were very disciplined and worked towards one goal. This franchise has done a lot for me. It’s a big gift from all of us to them.”

Varun Chakravarthy, who impressed with his spin-bowling throughout the season, acknowledged Nayar’s contributions. “All I can think right now is of the person who built this Indian core: Abhishek Nayar. ‘Please come here’,” Chakravarthy said, inviting Nayar to join them.

Venkatesh Iyer also highlighted Nayar’s role in the team’s success. “Really happy with it. As Varun mentioned, Abhishek Nayar deserves all the credit in the world. Some contributions go unnoticed, I want to make sure they don’t. This guy deserves all the credit in the world for the way he has been working for this franchise.”

KKR vice-captain Nitish Rana praised team mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the side ahead of IPL 2024. “I want to share one short story that when GG bhaiya was named the mentor. I sent him a long message as I was really happy. But he replied saying, ‘Thank you but I would be happy if we stand at the podium with the trophy in our hands’. Today is that day and I will never forget that message,” said Rana.

Seamer Vaibhav Arora, who bowled a brilliant delivery to dismiss SRH opener Travis Head in the final, stated, “My role is to take wickets with the new ball. After that, the spinners were doing their jobs. So, today also the aim was to take wickets in the powerplay, which happened as well.”

Rinku Singh expressed his joy, saying, “My dream of seven years is complete. Finally, I will lift the trophy. I am proud of my whole team and GG sir. It was God’s plan.”

KKR’s bowling coach Bharat Arun praised the players for their outstanding performances throughout the season. “I think it was pretty tough, the last two years. It was touch and go – we didn’t qualify. It needed a lot of introspection and now we can savor this moment.”

Commenting on Player-of-the-Final, Mitchell Starc, Arun said, “I think Mitch coming into the team boosted the confidence of other youngsters in the side. He is probably the best bowler in the world. Once he understood the Indian conditions, he was excellent.”

Arun also lauded the spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. “Spinners mature with age, and with Sunny and Varun bowling in tandem, it was superb,” he said.

Talking about Narine’s contribution as a batter, Arun added, “He brought a totally different dimension to our batting. It was Gautam who insisted that he open, and it paid dividends. It’s a great night and now it’s time to celebrate.”