Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer defended his team in the must-win match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He scored a fantastic half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1, which had venue at the Narendra Modi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Chasing the target of 160 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders after the start lost both their overs in quick succession. That was when Shreyas Iyer walked in the middle and entered slowly. The Indian batsman absorbed all the pressure and got them out of the tough phase.
Once Shreyas Iyer came in, it was difficult to stop him. This was quite evident in the way he finished the match and took his team home to the Narendra Modi International Stadium in Ahmedabad. He hit Travis Head for 22 runs in just 4 balls of the 14th over.
Shreyas Iyer started the restart with the big six. Travis Head bowled a leg-side delivery which the batsman slid deep to mid-wicket for a maximum. In the next ball, Kolkata Knight Riders closed a boundary in the same area at the Narendra Modi International Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Shreyas Iyer, however, did not stop there and then hit another maximum in the third ball. Travis Head again bowled a leg-side delivery and the batsman smashed it into mid-wicket to put pressure on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler.
Shreyas Iyer then made sure to end the game on a high. On the fourth ball of the over, Travis Head bowled a bowled delivery and the Kolkata Knight Riders captain bowled it long on to end the game within 15 overs at the Narendra Modi International Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Shreyas Iyer finished with an innings of unbeaten 58 runs off just 24 balls. He batted with a strike rate of over 241 and also hit 5 fours and 4 sixes in his innings. He shared an unbeaten partnership of 97 runs with Venkatesh Iyer (51*) as the duo won the game for the team with 38 balls to spare.
We now have a realistic chance of winning the trophy – Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer after the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad spoke about reaching the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He said that it is a dream moment for them and now they have a real chance to win the trophy.
Venkatesh Iyer added that they were energetic coming into the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. While speaking to the broadcasters, he explained:
“It’s always special for players like us to play in the IPL final, it’s a dream moment for us, going to Chennai and looking forward to it. We now have a realistic chance of winning the trophy.
“We were eager to go out when you have the momentum you really want. You saw Rinku fielding at critical points and taking those catches. It’s the excitement we have to go out and perform.”
Kolkata Knight Riders reserve their place for the final, which will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. They will be very attentive to the tournament to find out who will face them in the final.