Pat Cummins leading SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) set the stage on fire in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) Final showdown against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Striking early with the new ball he sent the formidable Sunil Narine packing. Interestingly just a ball ago the rightarm pacer watched one sail over him for a mighty six at the lively MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on a thrilling Sunday May 26.
During the run chase, Narine hit Cummins’ short delivery over the midwicket fence to get his innings started. The left-handed opener attempted to flick the following ball to the leg side, but only managed a thick edge. As a result, there was just elevation but little distance, and Shahbaz Ahmed made an easy grab to give SRH a much-needed early lead.
View Narine’s dismissal right here:
Sunil Narine contributed an impressive stint with the ball in the first innings. The mystery spinner concluded with stats of 1/16, including Jaydev Unadkat’s wicket off his penultimate delivery.
Sunil Narine’s Stellar IPL 2024 Performance with 488 Runs and 17 Wickets
Narine played a critical part in KKR’s smooth progression into the playoffs and eventual victory. The all-rounder was a threat to the bowlers throughout the competition, taking them on from the start and scoring 180 to finish the season.
He was as essential with the ball, with his four overs key to KKR’s strategy. His productive season prompted an appeal from the Caribbean for a possible comeback to the national team, but he held firm on his retirement.
KKR is dominating in the run chase despite Sunil Narine’s early departure. Venkatesh Iyer has launched a full-fledged attack at No. 3. To open his innings, the left-handed hitter faced Bhuvneshwar Kumar and scored three boundaries in a succession. As of writing, KKR has one hand on the trophy, having scored runs in the powerplay period alone.
KKR currently needs just 42 runs from 84 deliveries to capture their third IPL title. This will be Shreyas Iyer’s first title as captain, after missing out on the 2020 title with the Delhi Capitals.