THE “KNIGHTS” ARE TROPHY “RIDERS”

In the grand spectacle of the IPL final, the Sunrisers found themselves reeling at 6 wickets down, leaving the Kolkata Knight Riders with a modest target to chase, the lowest ever witnessed in an IPL final: a mere 114 runs. This tally fell shy by 11 runs compared to the memorable 125 set by CSK in the 2013 IPL final.

The saga unfolded with the entrance of the illustrious Australian speedster, Mitchell Starc, who, with figures of 2-14, showcased his mettle as one of the tournament's standout performers, despite initial criticism during the league's early stages. The pivotal moment arrived with Starc's delivery dislodging the stumps, sending Sunrisers' linchpin Abhishek Sharma back to the pavilion, setting the tone at a precarious 2 for 1. Adding to the woes, Vaibhav Arora (1-24) swiftly dispatched the formidable Travis Head, whose blazing form had ignited fears during the league matches, leaving the Risers' camp reeling. This marked Head's third successive duck, compounding the agony for Sunrisers.

With the top order dismantled, the burden of resurrection fell upon the shoulders of the middle order, anchored by Nitish Reddy alongside the South African duo of Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram. However, the relentless assault from the Knight Riders' pace battery proved insurmountable for the Sunrisers' batting lineup. Following the brilliance of Starc and Arora, Harshit Rana (2-24) and Narine (1-16) continued the onslaught, reducing Sunrisers to their lowest IPL final score. Andre Russell (3-19), a stalwart of the Knight Riders, further exacerbated Sunrisers' misery, cementing their humiliating distinction of achieving both the highest (287-3 vs RCB) and lowest team totals in IPL history.

For the Knight Riders, the heroics unfolded through the partnership of Venkatesh Iyer (52 n.o. off 26) and the Afghan sensation Rahmanullah Gurbaz (39 off 32), who orchestrated a commanding 91-run stand for the second wicket. Following Gurbaz's departure, the match was firmly in the grasp of the Knights, with the duo of Iyers—Skipper Shreyas and Venkatesh—delivering the coup de grâce, sealing Sunrisers' fate with precision and finesse.