KKR Clinches Third IPL Title with Dominant Performance Against Sunrisers Hyderabad

When the players from the Kolkata Knight Riders raced to the middle from the dugout, Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer had just finished the winning run.

That was possibly the most significant and effective performance any team had given in an IPL final. After losing their openers in the first two overs, Sunrisers Hyderabad was in trouble from the start.

Mitchell Starc took two wickets in the Powerplay overs to put the Sunrisers on the ropes on a track that offered pace and carry. Under advantageous circumstances, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana also demonstrated their equal ability.

If there was any sign of nervousness among the KKR players, Starc put an end to it quickly, allowing the team to gain momentum and win their third championship.

This victory was made possible by more than just the bowling of Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, or Sunil Narine; it was also made possible by the fact that Arora and Harshit fulfilled their responsibilities by seizing the opportunities that presented themselves.

"My role was to take wickets with the new ball... we have very good spinners, so if we chipped in with 2/3 wickets, the spinners could do the rest," Arora stated.

On Sunday, the plot developed in a very similar way. After the initial strikes were delivered by Starc, Arora, and Harshit, Sunrisers were never given a chance by Varun and Narine.

It was now up to the batsmen to ensure that their objective of 114 runs was not obstructed. Venkatesh Iyer and Rahmanullah Gurbaz simply destroyed the Sunrisers' onslaught, preventing them from ever forming a line.

"I have no words to express how I feel," an emotional Andre Russell remarked. It's really significant. I'm glad we all exercised extreme discipline and focused on achieving the same objective. For me, this franchise has accomplished a lot. We're giving it to them as a huge gift."

Gurbaz thought back to his sick mother back in Afghanistan. When Phil Salt got back home, the opener hurried to join the squad on his mother's recommendation.

"She is fine now, so I believe she will be observing. I talked to my mother before the game. "When I asked her what she wanted, she replied, 'nothing, just win,'" Gurbaz remarked.

"Salty performed incredibly well, and I wanted to get ready for the World Cup as it approached. I understood it and was ready. I'm fortunate. It's unique when you put in a lot of effort over the course of two months and get this kind of outcome," the Afghanistan player remarked.

Venkatesh remembered to give thanks to Abhishek Nayar, the assistant coach.

"I'm overjoyed. Abhishek Nayar deserves every accolade in the world for the tireless work he's put into the franchise. I want to ensure that no contributions are overlooked. It was him who constructed this Indian core. We waited ten years, which is a testament to the coaching staff and management," Venkatesh remarked.

The captain of the previous campaign, Nitish Rana, recollected what his coach, Gautam Gambhir, said to him upon his return to the team.

"I messaged Gautibhai when he was named the mentor, saying how delighted I was that he was returning to KKR. However, he replied that he would be happier if we were there on that podium, hoisting the trophy. I will always remember that message, and this is that day," Nitish remarked.

Whether it's the players' diligence or Gambhir's magic touch, the Knights are the rightful victors.

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