KKR win by 4 runs as they defeat SRH in the IPL 2024
Kolkata Knight Riders have won their first match of the season, against SunRisers Hyderabad, by just four runs. KKR put up a total of 208 runs, and that should have made it easy to defend. However, the game had many dramatic twists and turns and literally went down to the last ball. The Jamaica-born allrounder built an 81-run partnership with Rinku Singh next. KKR put up 208 runs despite the excellent fielding. Sunrisers Hyderabad started out well with a 33-ball, 60-run partnership between Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma.
SRH's performance dipped a bit after that, however, and they were 111 for 4 in 12.5 overs. Heinrich Klaasen and Shahbaz Ahmed then struck a 16-ball 58 partnership to bring SRH back within reasonable distance of a victory. Shahbaz got out at 16 off just five balls. Klaasen stuck it out for just two more deliveries in the over; his wicket fell in the last over. The first delivery SRH captain Pat Cummins faced was also the last ball of the game. SRH had started the final over with 13 runs required off six balls. Klaasen hit a six—his eighth of the game—to take it to seven runs needed off five balls. When HarshitRana got the wickets of Shahbaz Ahmed (caught by Shreyas Iyer) and Heinrich Klaasen (caught by Suyash Sharma), SRH's chances evaporated just as quickly as Shahbaz and Klaasen had created them. It came down to the last ball, which went for a dot. Andre Russell (KKR) was chosen Player of the Match for his unbeaten 64 off 25 deliveries and bowling figures of 2/25.