Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Shreyas Iyer took pride in the team's triumphant IPL 2024 campaign, saying that they felt 'invincible' right through the season.
KKR outclassed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in the title clash at Chepauk on Sunday (May 26) to lift the coveted IPL trophy for the third time.
Shreyas was over the moon as he 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.
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.
Mitchell Starc and Andre Russel shared five wickets while youngsters Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora claimed three scalps between them as KKR bundled out SRH for a paltry 113 in 18.3 overs.
In reply, the Knight Riders overhauled the target without breaking a sweat in 10.3 overs. While Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 39 off 32 balls at the top, Venkatesh Iyer stayed unbeaten on 52 off 26 balls to seal the deal.
“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. The game could have 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. Thanks to SRH the way they played. Looking forward to play more competitive cricket,” Shreyas added.
The KKR captain was effusive in praise of left-arm pacer Starc and all-rounder Russell, who stepped up in the big game for the side.
“That's when all the big players stand up, right! It was a high-pressure game and he's (Starc) been so good off the field. He's never shown any complacency in his work ethics. He stepped up to the right occasion. 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,” Iyer remarked.
