Narine and Russell played a key role in KKR's IPL 2024 title win.
Asked to bowl first, KKR skittled SRH out for a paltry 113 in 18.3 overs. Mitchell Starc and Andre Russel shared five wickets while youngsters Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora claimed three scalps between them.
In response, the Knight Riders gunned down the target without breaking a sweat. While Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 39 off 32 balls at the top, Venkatesh Iyer remained unbeaten on 52 off 26 balls to seal the deal in 10.3 overs.
After the triumph, KKR all-rounders Sunil Narine and Andre Russell were asked a hilarious question.
Both the Caribbean cricketers couldn’t control their laughter after hearing the question – “Final match. You perform. What happening?”, referring to a viral moment from the Bangladesh Premier League when a reporter, not well-versed with the English language, attempted to interview Russell.
KKR finished the league stage at the top, having won 9 of their 14 matches. In Qualifier 1, the Shreyas Iyer-led side crushed SRH to book a spot in the final, where they recorded another emphatic victory over the 2016 champions.
Following the title win, KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer acknowledged the collective effort from the players and the members of the support staff.
“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. 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,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.