IPL 2024: Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer's batting masterclass propels ...

Venkatesh Iyer celebrates scoring his half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. AP

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were once again at their clinical best, as they made their fourth final of the Indian Premier League (IPL), getting the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 . What began as an even contest between bat and ball, ended up being a one-sided affair in the end, with Venkatesh Iyer (51*) and Shreyas Iyer (58*) making light work of the 160 run chase.

KKR hadn’t played any cricket for more than 10 days after their final two league matches were washed out. But for the two-time champions, the philosophy was clear — pick up from where we left off.

In Photos | Venkatesh, Shreyas power KKR to IPL final

Only element missing from the league stage was Phil Salt, who returned to  join his England teammates ahead of the T20 World Cup. On the pitch, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23), despite a promising start could not carry on, and Sunil Narine (21) failed to capitalise as well.

The SIX that put KKR in the #TATAIPL Final ????#IPLonJioCinema #KKRvSRH #TATAIPLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/oIWN2WnHcB

The Iyers lead the charge

Venkatesh Iyer has been there, done this before this IPL season. He produced a similar kind of effort with a 7-run knock against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the league stage, which goes to show that he knows a thing or two about finishing matches.

The knock against MI was one that had come under pressure. KKR were 28/3 in the third over following Shreyas Iyer’s wicket and Venkatesh had to rebuild.

The match situation was different on Tuesday. Although KKR were 67/2 following Sunil Narine’s wicket and were never really under pressure, there was still a sense of possibility of the Sunrisers mounting a comeback.

Also read | KKR were waiting to ‘put up a show’ after long break, says Venkatesh Iyer

Meanwhile, it’s not everyday you see Shreyas Iyer bat aggressively in T20 cricket. The 29 year-old has often blown hot and cold in T20s with his shot selection.

Having said that, against SRH he produced just his second half-century this season. Whether or not Iyer carries this momentum into the final remains to be seen, but it was overwhelming to see the right-hander lead the charge alongside Venkatesh Iyer.

However, Shreyas Iyer did get lucky. He was dropped by Heinrich Klaasen in the 10th over and later by Travis Head in the 11th over. SRH had two big opportunities to remove Shreyas but fluffed it.

In the 14th over, the Mumbai-born Shreyas added to Head’s misery. An in the slot delivery from the Australian was sent for a six over the square leg fence with a powerful slog sweep. That over saw Head struck for three sixes and a four as KKR progressed to the IPL final with ease, with Iyer producing the finishing touch by launching for a six over long-on.

Talk about last-minute acceleration. Shreyas was on 36 from 20 balls at one stage, but then raced away to 58 off 24 balls, punishing Head mercilessly.

Venkatesh, meanwhile, was up against T Natarajan first up and opened his account with a boundary straightaway, a glance towards the fine leg fence. Dot balls were a rarity during Venkatesh’s knock. Sri Lanka’s Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was one of his victims, with the left-handed batter hitting him for two sixes off separate overs.

Venkatesh Iyer taking KKR closer to that final spot ????#IPLonJioCinema #TATAIPL #KKRvSRH #TATAIPLPlayoffs #IPLinHindi pic.twitter.com/Hqw9ZHAeis

Both Venkatesh and Shreyas looked untroubled during their partnership. It was almost as though the two were giving SRH a taste of their own medicine. We all know the damage Head and Abhishek have done, and the two Iyers were just following that same template of hitting from ball one.

“I don’t know tamil, but I understand. Venky speaks in tamil, I reply in hindi,” Shreyas Iyer said after the match.

It’s not just the Iyers who stole the limelight. Mitchell Starc, with three wickets (all in powerplay overs), was at his destructive best to set the platform and help restrict SRH to 159. Performing upto expectations after being roped in for a whopping Rs 24.75 crore can be somewhat tricky, but it’s safe to say that Starc has adjusted to his life at the Knight Riders.

A bigger challenge awaits KKR in the final on Sunday no matter who the opponents are, but one things is for sure —this is a KKR side who won’t give up without putting up a fight, irrespective of what the match situation is.

An avid sports follower, I have been working with Firstpost for the last four years. If not for sports, movies and music are my other interests. see more