Shreyas Iyer-led Kolkata Knight Riders picked up a thumping 8-wicket victory over Pat Cummins' Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Final of the latest edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on May 26 (Sunday). After the match, BCCI also gave a best pitch and ground award and it did not go to the renowned Chepauk or Wankhede Stadium but instead, it was bagged by SRH's home ground of Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Best Pitch and Ground award
SRH might have had to end their campaign as the runner-ups after a disappointing loss but the season saw a lot of historic moments for them. Despite being on the losing end, their side did take home some awards and one of them was the best pitch and ground award. Hyderabad Cricket Association received this award along with a prize money of 50 Lakh rupees. Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium hosted some really exciting games this season and set a benchmark for the rest of the associations as well.
ALSO READ: From Record Highs to Surprising Lows: A look at highest and lowest totals in IPL final history
KKR beat SRH in IPL 2024 Final
SRH won the toss and elected to bat first, it appeared to be a good decision considering their run in this season. However, things did not go their way as the KKR bowlers led by Mitchell Starc bowled them out on a low score of 113 runs, this was also the lowest score in the history of IPL Finals. Starc picked up two big wickets in his three-over spell and gave away just 14 runs. Then during the second innings, KKR manged to chase it quite comfortably. They did lose the wickets of their openers but it was nothing more than a hiccup before their big victory.
Pat Cummins reflected on their disappointing loss in the Final. However, he did praise all his teammates for their performance this season. He shared how wonderful his experience was with SRH as this was his first time with the franchise.
"They bowled fantastically. Unfortunately, old mate Starcy turned it on again. Not enough tonight, totally outplayed. You hope you get a few boundaries away but they bowled fantastically well, didn't really give us anything. Similar to last week in Ahmedabad where they bowled really well, so full credit. It was a bit of a tricky wicket. If we got 160, it would have felt we were in the game. Didn't feel like a 200+ wicket. Well short, maybe a few extra runs would have given us a chance. So many (positives), the style that the guys played particularly with the bat. Takes a lot of skill to not only get 250 but also three times. It takes real, you are putting yourself out there a fair bit. I loved how brave the guys were," said Cummins in the post-match presentation.
"In high-pressure situations, they took the game on. It was a lot of fun, fans seemed to like it back in Hyderabad. Great season. It was fantastic, hadn't worked with many of the guys before at all. It was a real pleasure to work with some of the older, experienced guys like Bhuvi. Bhuvi, Nattu, Jaydev were great and lots of young talent throughout. Really great squad, the support staff were amazing, had a great couple of months. We play a lot over here in India but it's normally a sea of blue. It's good having the crowd on our side for once. Amazing tournament, gets bigger and better each year. It was amazing this season," he added.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
KKR to SRH IPL winners list from 2008 to 2024: Four teams are still looking for maiden title
Gautam Gambhir reacts to KKR's first IPL title win in 10 years, writes an inspirational quote from Mahabharata
