It was a knockout performance in the last and most momentous knockout game of the season, but winning captain Shreyas Iyer did not discount the role luck played in Kolkata Knight Riders' eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League 2024 final in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. (As It Happened | Full Coverage)
"The game could have gone either way. They have been playing phenomenal cricket - SRH - throughout the season. We were lucky to bowl first and every situation went in our favour," Shreyas spoke candidly after leading KKR to their third overall IPL title, and the first in a decade.
"Absolutely comprehensive. This is what we demanded from the team and every individual. They stood up to the right occasion and the feeling is hard to express," the KKR skipper gushed at the post-match presentation.
Talking about how the season and the wait for the elusive title panned out, Shreyas said: "It (wait) was so long, longer than the match. We played like invincibles throughout the season. There's so much to cherish right now. It is pleasing, the performance has been flawless throughout. I am running out of words right now."
"We have been tremendous from game one, we stepped up today. All we demanded from ourselves was to back each other whatever the situation is," he added.
The India batter reserved special words of praise for his team's star performer Mitchell Starc. "That's when all the big players stand up, right! It was a high-pressure game and he's been so good off the field. He's never shown any complacency in his work ethics. He stepped up to the right occasion."
Starc, the most expensive buy (at INR 24.75 crore) in Indian Premier League history, was named the Player Of The Match for his three-over spell (2/14) which included a ball of the tournament contender that bamboozled Abhishek Sharma.
West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell picked up three wickets, and Shreyas waxed eloquent on him too. "He's (Russell) got that magic wand, he's looking forward to pick wickets. When I look at him, I know he can look at me. All the guys stepped up at the right time. Made it easier. It has been a flawless season."
KKR restricted the Sunrisers to a meagre total of 113, and chased the target down in just 10.3 overs in a one-sided final at Chepauk Stadium.
