IPL 2024: Mitchell Starc steps up as Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad to enter final

Kolkata Knight Riders booked their spot in the final of the Indian Premier League 2024 as Mitchell Starc and the spinners dominated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets in the Qualifier 1 clash in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Starc showcased his mettle with a fiery opening spell as he ripped through the Sunrisers' top order, leaving them reeling at a below-par 159.

The Australian pacer struck early, shattering in-form Travis Head's stumps with just the second ball of the match, before dismissing Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in quick succession.

Head – IPL's third-highest run-getter – fell victim to Starc's lethal delivery, while Reddy was caught comfortably by wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Shahbaz's departure came with a mistimed shot that ended in him chopping onto his own wickets.

With Starc's devastating opening spell of 3/22, Kolkata Knight Riders seized control of the game to make their fourth IPL appearance.

Despite a resilient effort from Rahul Tripathi, who scored 55 off 35 balls, Sunrisers Hyderabad struggled to build partnerships. Tripathi's valiant innings was supported by Heinrich Klaasen's 32 runs.

Klaasen had managed to score 16 runs off eight balls against Sunil Narine, but Varun Chakravarthy, induced him to hole out with just his second legitimate delivery.

As the innings progressed, Sunrisers faced continual setbacks, with Tripathi being run...

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