'This franchise has done a lot for me...': Emotional Andre Russell after leading KKR to 3rd IPL title following stunning win over SRH in final

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched IPL 2024 title after crushing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in the final at the MA Chidambaram stadium on May 26 in Chennai. With this KKR lifted their third IPL trophy, adding to their previous wins in 2012 and 2014, and comes after a ten-year gap.

Captain Shreyas Iyer's decision to bowl first proved to be a masterstroke. Mitchell Starc justified the call by dismissing the dangerous Abhishek Sharma in the very first over. He continued his dominance by taking the wicket of Rahul Tripathi, putting early pressure on the SRH batting lineup.

The spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine tightened the noose further, controlling the run flow in the middle overs and adding a wicket each to their tally. 

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Andre Russell breaks SRH batters' back

But it was Andre Russell who wreaked havoc with the bowl and took three wickets while conceding just 19 runs. He got the prized wicket of Aiden Markram and followed it by dismissing Abdul Samad and the Pat Cummins. KKR's exceptional bowling performance restricted SRH to a meager 113 runs in their allotted 20 overs.

Carrying the momentum from the bowling performance, KKR's batting got off to a flying start. Venkatesh Iyer stole the show with a blistering 50 off just 24 balls, setting a record for the fastest half-century in an IPL final. The opening partnership between Iyer and Rahmanullah Gurbaz flourished, adding a quickfire 91 runs before Gurbaz's dismissal. KKR continued their dominance, cruising to a comfortable victory with 57 balls remaining.

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Right after the match Russel got emotional and expressed his connection with his dearest KKR franchise after powering Knight Riders to title triumph.

“No words to describe [holds his tears]. It means so much. I am happy that all of us were very disciplined and worked towards one goal. This franchise has done a lot for me. It's a big gift from all of us to them,” Russel told broadcasters after the match.

 

Meanwhile, KKR's bowling coach too expressed his emotions after the title triumph.

“I think it was pretty tough, the last two years. It was touch and go - we didn't qualify. It needed a lot of introspection and now we can savour this moment. [On Harshit Rana] He has been outstanding. It's about backing your strengths. [On Starc] I think Mitch coming into the team boosted the confidence of other youngsters in the side. He is probably the best bowler in the world. Once he understood the Indian conditions, he was excellent. Spinners mature with age, and with Sunny and Varun bowling in tandem, it was superb. [On Narine the batter] He brought a totally different dimension to our batting. It was Gautam who insisted that he opened and it paid dividends. It's a great night and now it's time to celebrate.”

 

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