Mitchell Starc saved his best for the last!
The Australian pacer, who coped a lot of flak for his below par performances in the league stages, came up with two match-winning performances in the play-offs to power KKR to their third IPL title.
Andre Russell proved his utility with the ball with a three wicket haul, while young Harshit Rana also made a telling difference with the ball as the KKR bowlers send Sunrisers Hyderabad crashing for a lowly 113.
The Best Spells of the IPL Final...
Mitchell Starc
Starc, the most expensive player in IPL 2024, finally justified his hefty price tag with a magical display of swing bowling in the final.
Starc, who faced criticism for his underwhelming performance in the league stage, rose to the occasion in the biggest game of the season. He exploited the overcast conditions perfectly, sending shivers down the spines of the SRH batsmen.
In his opening over, Starc produced a delivery that is being hailed as the 'Ball of the Tournament'. This unplayable outswinger pitched on length on middle and off, leaving the in-form Abhishek Sharma with absolutely no chance as it swung viciously, clipping the off bail and sending the SRH opener packing for a mere two runs in the first over of the match.
Starc wasn't done there. He continued his rampage in his second over, dismissing Rahul Tripathi (9) who got a top edge trying to swipe the left-arm pacer over the leg side.
That wicket left SRH reeling at 3/23 inside the Powerplay.
This performance was a stark contrast to Starc's earlier struggles in the tournament. He had previously lacked confidence and conceded runs at a high rate.
However, a turning point came with a four wicket haul against Mumbai Indians in the second half of the season. He then carried that momentum into the play-offs, grabbing the Player of the Match award in Qualifier 1 against the same opponents with Travis Head's crucial wicket.
Starc's ability to step up in high pressure situations like the IPL Dinal silenced his critics. His first spell of three overs yielded a phenomenal 2/14 including 11 dot balls, setting the tone for KKR's dominant bowling performance.
This early dominance put KKR in a commanding position, restricting a potent SRH batting line-up to a paltry 113 -- the lowest ever total in an IPL final.
Starc managed just 12 wickets in the first 12 games before he stormed back with five wickets in the two play-off games including the final. It was similar to his showing in the ODI World Cup last year when after a lacklustre league stage, he claimed six wickets in the knockout games to bowl Australia to victory.
Andre Russell
Russell emerged as a wrecker-in-chief for KKR, dismantling the SRH batting in the middle overs with a phenomenal bowling performance (3/19 in 2.3 overs).
His fiery pace and variations proved too hot to handle for the SRH batters.
Russell accounted for Aiden Markram's wicket in the 11th over. A well-directed length ball with good bounce deceived Markram, who attempted a pull shot but only managed to sky it high. Mitchell Starc, positioned perfectly at long-on, completed a comfortable catch.
Russell struck early in his second spell, dismissing Impact Substitute Abdul Samad (4) in the 13th over. A full and wide delivery tempted Samad into a rash shot, resulting in a miscued outside edge that Rahmanullah Gurbaz gobbled up with a diving catch behind the stumps.
He continued his rampage in the 19th over, cleaning up the SRH innings. Pat Cummins (24) became his third victim when he holed out a simple catch to Starc, atoning for a dropped catch earlier, made no mistake at long on, securing the crucial wicket.
Russell's exceptional bowling figures, coupled with his ability to take wickets at crucial junctures, played a pivotal role in bowling SRH for a paltry total.
Harshit Rana
Harshit Rana emerged as a key performer for KKR with a crucial two wicket haul (2/24 in 4 overs).
He struck early in his first over, dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy (13) with a peach of a delivery. Rana cleverly used a mix of slower balls before unleashing a 146 kph full delivery that seamed away from the batter, resulting in a faint edge pouched comfortably by the wicket-keeper.
Rana continued his impressive spell, taking another wicket in the 15th over. This time, he deceived Heinrich Klaasen (16) with a well directed off-cutter.
Klaasen tried to force it through the off side, got a fatal inside edge which went back to rattle the stumps. Rana's bowling figures and his ability to take wickets at crucial junctures put KKR in a strong position in the match.
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