At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) delivered a stellar performance to secure their fourth final appearance with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Leading the league stage points table, KKR’s bowlers set the stage by bowling SRH out for 159, which was then chased down effortlessly by Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer, who put together an unbeaten 97-run partnership, achieving the target in just 13.4 overs.
Batting first in Ahmedabad, where Pat Cummins had previously thrilled the crowd in the ODI World Cup, SRH faltered early. Mitchell Starc’s brilliant spell saw him take three wickets with the new ball, including the dismissal of Travis Head for a duck on the second ball. Despite a fighting 35-ball 55 from Rahul Tripathi, who added a 62-run stand with Heinrich Klaasen, SRH’s innings collapsed, losing five wickets for 25 runs in just 30 balls. Cummins also contributed crucial runs, pushing the total past 150.
In reply, KKR lost both openers in the first seven overs but were steadied by Venkatesh Iyer and captain Shreyas Iyer, both scoring fifties. Their composed partnership saw KKR chase down the target of 160 with 38 balls to spare, underlining their batting strength and resilience.
After the match, KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, along with his daughter Suhana and son AbRam, took a lap around the stadium to thank the fans, inadvertently interrupting JioCinema’s IPL 2024 Hindi broadcast being filmed live on the ground.
Shah Rukh promptly apologized to former India cricketers Aakash Chopra, Parthiv Patel, and Suresh Raina, who were hosting the show. He embraced them and apologized to viewers before continuing his lap. Suhana was seen carefully avoiding the cameras while holding AbRam’s hand.
Aakash Chopra, smiling, remarked on Shah Rukh’s unplanned appearance, saying, “Oh, what a man! Legend! He didn’t even realize he walked into the show. He was very apologetic, but I said, ‘You made our day. You are the showstopper.’”
The match underscored KKR’s formidable performance and showcased the humility and sportsmanship of their high-profile co-owner, creating a memorable moment in their IPL 2024 campaign.
Follow for more.
