KKR clinch IPL 2024: Decoding their season in stats
Kolkata Knight Riders have been crowned champions of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Shreyas Iyer's team thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad in what can be called a one-sided final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 26. Notably, KKR clinched their third title, having previously tasted glory in 2012 and 2014. Let's decode the key stats from their campaign.
KKR bossed the league stage and playoffs
KKR were sensational in the league stage as they topped the points table with nine wins across 14 games. (NRR: +1.428). Two of their matches got abandoned due to rain as they finished with 20 points. They advanced to the final by thrashing SRH in a one-sided Qualifier 1. The Knight Riders dominated the proceedings in the final as well.
Sunil Narine's all-round heroics
Player-of-the-Tournament Sunil Narine was at his all-round best this year. He gave KKR flying starts alongside his opening partner Phil Salt, who later departed on national duty. Narine overall smashed 488 runs at an incredible strike rate of 180.74. He slammed the most runs for KKR. The Caribbean spinner also took 17 wickets with an economy rate of 6.69.
Narine gets this double
Narine, who smoked three fifties and a ton, accomplished some major doubles during the competition. As per ESPNcricinfo, he became the second all-rounder after Shane Watson (472 runs and 17 wickets in 2008) to slam 450-plus runs and take at least 15 wickets in an IPL season.
Sensational striking from Salt as well
Narine's opening partner for the majority of the season, Salt was equally incredible with his big-hitting. He smoked 435 runs as his jaw-dropping strike rate of 182 was the third-best among batters with 350-plus runs in the season. Salt and Narine's brilliance at the top meant KKR had the second-best powerplay run rate this year (11.12).
Here are the other star batters
Venkatesh Iyer, who smoked unbeaten fifties in both playoff matches, accumulated 370 runs, striking at 158.79. Skipper Shreyas Iyer managed 351 runs (SR: 146.86). Both batters averaged over 39. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh (168 runs at 18.66) didn't get many opportunities due to the solid show of top four. Ramandeep Singh, who managed 125 runs, struck at 201.61. He played some brilliant cameos.
Andre Russell starred as well
Narine wasn't the only WI all-rounder who starred for KKR in IPL 2024. Andre Russell was also sensational as he finished the season with 19 wickets (ER: 10.06). With the willow, he managed 222 runs at a strike rate of 185. The season saw him become the first foreign player with the double of 100 wickets and 2,500 runs in the IPL.
Here are the key bowlers
With 21 wickets, Varun Chakravarthy finished as the second-highest wicket-taker this year (ER: 8.04). Uncapped pacer Harshit Rana claimed 19 wickets while conceding runs at 9.08. Mitchell Starc, who struggled earlier in the season, was sensational toward the business end. He finished with 17 scalps (ER: 10.61). The left-arm pacer clinched the Player-of-the-Match award in KKR's both playoff matches.
KKR bowlers ace middle overs
It is worth noting that KKR's Varun Chakravarthy, Narine, and Russell finished as the top three wicket-takers in the middle overs (7-15) in IPL 2024. Chakravarthy topped this list with 17 scalps, while Narine and Russell took 13 and 12 wickets each.
An unwanted record for KKR
KKR also entered the record books for unwanted reasons as Punjab Kings stunned them in Match 42 by recording the highest successful chase ever in T20s. They chased down 262 at the Eden Gardens. Meanwhile, two of KKR's highest team scores came in IPL 2024. While they made 261/6 versus PBKS, the game against Delhi Capitals saw them post 272/7.
