The Kolkata Knight Riders secured a commanding victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first qualifier of the IPL, booking their place in the grand finale.
KKR chased down a modest target of 160 runs with remarkable ease, winning by a massive eight-wicket margin in just 13.4 overs. Openers Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer starred with brilliant half-centuries, smashing 58 and 51 runs respectively. Shreyas’ knock was a whirlwind of power, including four sixes and five fours off a mere 24 balls. Venkatesh provided solid support, finding the boundary on six occasions during his 28-ball knock.
Earlier, Hyderabad, after electing to bat, could only muster 159 runs before being bundled out in 19.3 overs. Rahul Tripathi’s lone fightback wasn’t enough, as his 55-run knock (7 fours, 1 six) proved inadequate. Heinrich Klaasen chipped in with a valuable 32, while Pat Cummins (30) and Abdul Samad (16) provided some late impetus.
Kolkata’s bowling attack was exceptional, with Mitchell Starc leading the way. The left-arm pacer picked up three crucial wickets, conceding only 34 runs in his four-over spell. Varun Chakaravarthy provided excellent support with two wickets, while the rest of the KKR bowlers chipped in with a wicket apiece, including the likes of Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, and Andre Russell.
With this convincing win, Kolkata Knight Riders have secured their spot in the coveted IPL final. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to fight their way back through the eliminator, where they’ll face the winner of the upcoming clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals.
