KKR Clinches Third IPL Title, Ending Decade-Long Trophy Drought

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in the IPL 2024, claiming their third title with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. The triumph marked a remarkable turnaround for KKR, who had endured a decade-long trophy drought.

The team's success was largely attributed to their bowling prowess, as they restricted SRH to a mere 113 runs. Sunil Narine, the in-form all-rounder, played a pivotal role, opening the batting and contributing with both bat and ball.

KKR's mentor, Gautam Gambhir, who had returned to the franchise with the aim of ending their title drought, was overjoyed with the victory. He had previously expressed his desire to lift the trophy with the team, and his words proved prophetic.

Nitish Rana, who played a crucial role in the chase, revealed that Gambhir had sent him a message expressing his belief in the team's potential. "I want to share one short story that when GG bhaiya was named the mentor, I sent him a long message as I was really happy. But he replied saying, 'Thank you but I would be happy if we stand at the podium with the trophy in our hands.' Today is that day and I will never forget that message," Rana said.

Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who joined the team at the behest of leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, was equally ecstatic. "It means everything. I started playing IPL in the first season and it has taken me 16 years for the first title after two finals. I am really happy for the boys. I cannot express how happy I am," Nayar said.

Venkatesh Iyer, who top-scored in the chase with an unbeaten 52, praised Nayar's contributions. "Really happy with it. As Varun mentioned, Abhishek Nayar deserves all the credit in the world," Iyer said.

Andre Russell, who had faced criticism in the previous season, proved to be a vital cog in KKR's triumph. "No words to describe. It means so much. I am happy that all of us were very disciplined and worked towards one goal. This franchise has done a lot for me. It's a big gift from all of us to them," Russell said.

Rinku Singh, who had been with KKR for seven years, was overjoyed to finally lift the trophy. "Outstanding feeling right now. My dream of seven years is complete. Finally I will lift the trophy. I am proud of my whole team and GG sir. It was God's plan," Singh said.

Pacer Vaibhav Arora, who impressed alongside Harshit Rana, was happy to contribute to the team's success. "My role is to take wickets with the new ball. After that the spinners were doing their jobs. So today also the aim was to take wickets in the powerplay, which happened as well," Arora said.

Bowling coach Bharat Arun praised the team's resilience and highlighted the impact of Mitchell Starc's inclusion. "I think it was pretty tough, the last two years. It was touch and go - we didn't qualify. It needed a lot of introspection and now we can savour this moment. He (Harshit Rana) has been outstanding. It's about backing your strengths," Arun said.

Arun also lauded the decision to open with Narine, which was proposed by Gambhir. "Spinners mature with age, and with Sunny and Varun bowling in tandem, it was superb. He (Narine) brought a totally different dimension to our batting. It was Gautam who insisted that he opened and it paid dividends," Arun said.

Opener-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who joined KKR late in the season, was delighted to be part of the winning team. "My mom is watching from the home. She is feeling good now. I asked mom before the match if she wanted anything. She said just the win. When Salt was playing, I wasn't expecting to get a chance but I knew it's a long tournament and I needed to be ready. Once I got the chance, I was well prepared," Gurbaz said.

The KKR camp was abuzz with excitement and plans for celebrations. "I cannot tell how happy I am," said Harshit Rana. "It's yet to sink in yet. Maybe it will after the party at night," added Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

All-rounder Ramandeep Singh said he would be busy selecting songs for the party. "I am really happy. We worked really hard for it, so feeling really happy. It's a great environment. Poora gaah payeya hoeya hai (We have had a ball). I am the DJ, I play the song people demand," Singh said.

Tags: #KKR, #IPL2024, #SunrisersHyderabad, #GautamGambhir, #SunilNarine