Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured their spot in the IPL 2024 final with a dominant victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 21. Excelling in all facets of the game, KKR outclassed Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 to advance to the championship clash.
Opting to bat first, SRH faced a setback as Mitchell Starc’s impressive bowling dismantled their top order, claiming crucial wickets including that of Travis Head. Despite some resistance from Rahul Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen, SRH managed a modest total of 159, aided by a late cameo from Pat Cummins.
In response, KKR’s batters, led by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine, launched a blistering start. Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer then guided KKR comfortably to victory with ample overs to spare, sealing the win by eight wickets.
Favorable Trend for KKR:
Over the past few IPL seasons, a notable trend has emerged, favoring the team winning Qualifier 1 to clinch the title. Since 2018, the Qualifier 1 victors have consistently gone on to become champions. This streak commenced with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018, followed by Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, CSK repeated the feat, while Gujarat Titans (GT) continued the pattern in IPL 2022. Last season, CSK once again emerged victorious in Qualifier 1 en route to claiming the title.
KKR’s Qualifier 1 Dominance:
KKR maintains a perfect record in Qualifier 1 matches, having emerged victorious in all instances. Notably, they clinched the title in 2012 and 2014 after winning Qualifier 1 matches against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, respectively.
With their spot confirmed in the final, KKR will now travel to Chennai to compete for the IPL 2024 title on May 26.
