When powerplay fireworks become a formality, you know the chase was a canter
It had all the ingredients of a classic: a top-two clash, a packed house at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and two batting juggernauts squaring off for a straight ticket to the IPL 2024 final. But what unfolded was far from a tug-of-war; it was a tidal wave dressed in purple and gold.
The Kolkata Knight Riders didn’t just beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad; they chased down 160 like it was a leisurely stroll, wrapping up the target in just 13.4 overs, with a staggering 38 balls to spare. For context, no IPL playoff match has seen a target over 150 being hunted this swiftly, not even close.
But let’s not rush to the punch. This wasn’t just a chase — it was a statement, one chapter at a time.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad entered with their explosive opening pair — Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma — the most lethal powerplay duo of the season. But on the night that mattered, the storm didn’t arrive. Instead, Mitchell Starc turned off the lights before SRH could even plug in.
First ball — a loosener. Second ball — Head’s stumps lay in disarray, after facing two balls, two ducks in a row for the Aussie southpaw. Starc had him again — the fifth time across formats. Some habits die hard.
By the time the scoreboard read 39 for 4 inside five overs, Starc already had 3 for 22, and SRH had squandered the powerplay with just 45 runs — their third-worst of the season. Abhishek was gone for 3. Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed followed, both victims of Starc’s searing burst.
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At 39 for 4, it was heading for embarrassment. But Rahul Tripathi refused to throw in the towel. He counterpunched his way to a vibrant 55 off 35 balls, smashing 7 boundaries and a six.
But the fight ended in heartbreak. A miscommunication with Pat Cummins (30) led to his run-out, and Tripathi sat on the Ahmedabad stairs, head buried in his knees. That image lingered longer than his innings.
Varun Chakravarthy, meanwhile, added to the pressure. His figures—4 overs, 2 for 26—displayed vintage control and stranglehold.
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The crowd expected a duel, but what they got was a demolition. Gurbaz, playing his first game of the season, came in like he’d never been away, scoring a breezy 23 off 14. Narine chipped in with 21 off 16. By the end of the powerplay, KKR had already scored 63 runs.
Then came the Iyer show.
Captain Shreyas and Venkatesh (51 off 28) stitched together an unbeaten stand of 97 in just 44 balls. They didn’t just chase the target; they bullied it. Venkatesh reached his fifty in 24 balls while Shreyas did one better, finishing the match with 6, 4, 6, 6 off Travis Head, no less, to seal his 58 not out off 24 balls.
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When the dust settled, KKR had reached 164 for 2 in 13.4 overs. They didn’t just win — they embarrassed the opposition in a playoff. For the record, only once has a 150+ score been chased faster in the history of the IPL, and never in a knockout game.
It wasn’t just an eight-wicket win — it was IPL playoff dominance at its brutal best. No twists. No tension. Just a team that turned up and tore through the script.
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