Kolkata Knight Riders delivered yet another smashing performance at qualifier 1, held on May 21st, 2024. It defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets in the IPL 2024 Playoffs. Now the team is all set to perform in the final of the IPL, working hard and having their vigorous practice sessions while waiting for their opponent to step in.
2024 IPL Qualifier 1: Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Asked to bowl first, KKR showed a remarkable performance by chasing the score of 159 runs made by SRH in 19.3 overs. The seasoned left-arm spinner Mitchell Starc led the way with 3-34 in four overs, including a huge wicket by opener Travis Head for a duck.
In the chase Venkatesh and Shreyas Iyer , hit blazing 50s as KKR gained a quick and easy victory. The Ipl 2024 will witness the KKR featuring for the fourth time in the finals of the T20 league. In its previous IPL final appearances, KKR won two matches and lost one.
KKR IPL finals Up Until Now
Let’s take a look at the matches that KKR played in the previous years to learn more:
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings (2012)
KKR won its first-ever IPL title in 2012. They played against CSK in a highly anticipated match. KKR won by 5 wickets, showcasing their all-around strength. Jaques Kallis, the South African allrounder at that time was named the name of the match for his brilliant play and crucial bowling performance.
Manish Pandey, the young Indian batsman, made the highest score for KKR on that day 43 runs, laying a foundation for the team to win. CSK set a target of 190 runs that was successfully chased down with 8 balls to spare.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab (2014)
Two years later, in 2014 KKR got into the IPL final again and this time had to face Kings XI Punjab, now known as Punjab Kings. The Knight Riders continued to deliver their strong and smooth play and chased the KXIP by 3 wickets.
Manish Pandey, rising during that time, received the Man of the match for his invaluable contribution to the team’s victory by scoring 93 runs. Gautam Gambhir on the other hand, who was the captain of the KKR at that time made a high score of 52 runs and ensured victory for the team.
The win led to an increase in the popularity of the KKR in the IPL. It chased down the target of 199 runs set by the KXIP with 2 balls to spare.
Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Chennai Super Kings (2018)
The 2018 also came along with KKR qualifying into the final but losing against CSK. Shubman Gill (a part of KKR at that time) emerged as the highest scorer of the match, making 64 runs but fell short by a single wicket in the last ball finish.
It was a heartbreaking defeat as KKR almost won the IPL in 2018 but failed to grab the title. It tried hard to chase the score 178 runs down but with the strong fielding of the CSK was not able to win the title.
In all three performances, KKR’s strong cricketing skills have come into the picture making it one of the tough competitors of the IPL. It consists of highly talented players such as the Iyer brothers, Nitish Rana, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Andrew Russel who have the capability of turning the tables of the match through their cricketing tactics.
2024 IPL Qualifier 2 – Sunrisers Hyderabad Vs Rajasthan Royals
The final match of the IPL will be held on 26 May ‘2024, with KKR and its opponent team (either RR or SRH) that would then decide the victor of IPL 2024. Before that, there is another match that is going to take place between RR and SRH on May 24th, 2024, the one that would qualify for the finals and compete against the KKR.
