KKR VS SRH FINAL

Right then, yet another season of the highly-touted Indian T20 League has come to an end and what a cricketing extravaganza it was! This season saw some unreal batting performances with the 250-run barrier being crossed on multiple occasions but towards the end of the tournament, we saw the pitches even out and a fantastic contest between bat and ball. Eventually, it was Kolkata who played some scintillating cricket throughout the tournament and went on to lift their third title in a memorable campaign. This also marks the end of the road for our coverage and we hope you guys enjoyed the season as much as we did. However, the cricketing action doesn't stop here as the showdown event of the year, the Men's T20 World Cup is around the corner. You can switch tabs and check the fixtures section for the latest matches. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Shreyas Iyer goes up to the podium and gets both hands on that Trophy and all his teammates come up and the Trophy is lifted amidst all the fireworks and what a joyous occasion it is for the franchise and all of their fans.

It is now time for Kolkata to get the winner's award and all players and members of the coaching staff will receive a limited-edition watch. After which, BCCI President, Roger Binny presents the winners-up cheque and that eye-catching winner's trophy to Kolkata's skipper Shreyas Iyer. Iyer comes in for a chat and says that this is what they demanded from each individual and everyone stepped up and the feeling cannot be expressed. Adds that the performance has been flawless throughout and when they stepped up in the Final, they just wanted to back each other and commends Hyderabad to have played excellent cricket throughout the tournament but today, everything went Kolkata's way. On Starc, he says that all the big players stand up when required and adds that he has been so good off the field and his work ethic is commendable. On Russell, he says that Russell has that magic wand which he keeps hidden and he just hands him the bowl and he has been lucky for them. Mentions that it is about the mindset of the players that has led them here.

It is now time for Hyderabad to receive the runners-up cheque and coach Daniel Vettori collects the tournament mementoes on his team's behalf. Their skipper, Pat Cummins then comes up to collect the cheque and runners-up shield. Cummins comes down for a chat and says that Kolkata bowled fantastically and that his side just did not have enough runs on the board. Mentions that you hope to get a few boundaries away but it was not to be as Kolkata gave nothing away and his team got outplayed. Reckons that 160 would have been a competitive total on what was a tricky wicket. Further says that it was not a 200-plus wicket but a few extra runs would have given them a chance. Tells that the batting style has been the biggest positive for them and it takes a lot of skill to post 250-plus scores thrice. Says that it was great working with many of the guys with whom he had not worked before. Also says that they play a lot in India but it is always a sea of blue, so, it was good to have the crowd on their side. Ends by saying that it was an amazing tournament and that the Indian T20 League continues to get better with every season.

Next up, the match officials receive their tournament mementos.

Sunil Narine has been presented as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the season for his brilliant exploits with bat and ball. Narine says that coming to the ground in this game brought back memories of 2012 and the feeling is surreal. Adds that he is enjoying his cricket and it helps when the team is winning and they have a great bunch of guys. On his batting, he says that getting the role of just going out there and expressing himself helped and Gautam Gambhir gave him a lot of confidence. Adds that Phil Salt had an incredible season but Rahmanullah Gurbaz came in and filled that spot really well. Mentions that Varun Chakaravarthy is a world-class bowler and it is his work off the field that has helped him and as a bowling unit, picking up wickets is key.

The Award for the leading wicket-taker of the season goes to Harshal Patel for finishing with 24 wickets. This is the second time Harshal has finished as the leading wicket-taker, he achieved the same feat in 2021. The Award for the leading run-scorer of the tournament goes to Virat Kohli for scoring 741 runs in the season. Like Harshal, it is the second time Kohli has achieved this feat, the first one coming in that unforgettable season in 2016.

Nitish Kumar Reddy is adjudged the EMERGING PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT!

Mitchell Starc is the Player of the Match for his brilliant spell of bowling up top in the Final. Says that it was a great night for Kolkata and it has been a special season with two exciting teams making it to the final. Mentions that they had a fantastic squad and it was nice to find rhythm at the back end of the tournament. Feels that it was great to contribute personally but at the same time, it was nice to see everyone contributing as a team. States that they were not sure how the wicket would play but Shreyas Iyer was spot on with the usage of the bowlers and field placements. On the pressure of the price tag coming into the tournament, he says that there have been plenty of jokes about the money but since it was a long time since he last played in the Indian T20 League, it helped him in managing the expectations.

The presentation ceremony is up next...

What a season this has been for Kolkata, it has been a decade's wait for this third title to come but they will be very happy to have done it here at the Chepauk where they won their first title way back in 2012 against a mighty Chennai side. Gautam Gambhir was the captain then and lifted both of their previous titles and now he becomes a rare entity to have won the coveted Indian T20 League both as a captain and a mentor.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the next man to chime in. He says that his mother will be watching at home and will be happy to see the team win the final. States that he was not expecting to get a chance when Phil Salt was there but needed to be ready since it was a long tournament. Adds that when he got the opportunity, he was happy to contribute for the team.

Harshit Rana is the next man in for a chat. He says that he cannot express his feelings right now. Nitish Rana shares that he had sent a long message to Gautam Gambhir when the latter joined as a mentor. Gambhir replied then that he would be happy if the team won the title. Rinku Singh joins them and says that it is a dream come true for him.

Andre Russell is the first one in for a chat. Says that he has no words to explain this feeling and it means so much to him and the team. Thanks the fans for their support throughout the season. Varun Chakaravarthy says that it has been a great season for him and credits Abhishek Nayar for building the Indian core. Venkatesh Iyer joins them and thanks the fans for their constant support.

Let's now hear from a few of the players and coaching staff of the winning Kolkata side...

Heartbreak for Hyderabad but once they decided to bat first, they always knew the first 6 overs were going to be testing and very crucial. The top order crumbled under pressure and they kept on losing wickets throughout the innings, struggling their way to 113 runs, the lowest first innings total in an Indian T20 League final match. The bowlers needed to pull off a miracle but against an upbeat Kolkata side, they seemed helpless. Pat Cummins tried to go for the jugular from the start and picked up an early wicket but then Bhuvneshwar Kumar went for 20 runs and from thereon, they were completely defeated. Hyderabad were put out of their misery in just 10.3 overs and will be very disappointed with how their final two games against Kolkata went. Nevertheless, a positive season overall and they will be eager to come back next season and get back into the Final.

KOLKATA ARE THE CHAMPIONS! The whole team springs onto the field of play in ecstasy and boy, they deserve this win so much, what a performance. One of the all-time greatest team performances in a Final and Kolkata have simply blown away Hyderabad to pick up their third Indian T20 League Trophy. From start to finish, Kolkata looked in control and once they made those early inroads in the first innings, they never let their opponents breathe for a minute. After being asked to bowl first, Shreyas Iyer seemed happy and the likes of Mitchell Starc and co did a fine job upfront. Needing just 114 runs for the win, Sunil Narine fell early but Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit a few boundaries and then Venkatesh Iyer took the bull by its horns and made the Hyderabad bowlers pay. Not even for a minute did Kolkata look to be in any sorts of pressure and they have rounded off a fine season, finishing top of the group table and now, they have gone the distance as well.

KOLKATA ARE THE 2024 INDIAN T20 LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! Shahbaz Ahmed bowls it full and on off, Venkatesh Iyer gets a good stride in and looks to paddle it towards short fine leg. Gets an inside edge that sneaks past the stumps and beats Heinrich Klaasen as well. The batters scamper across for a quick run and the two Iyers, Venkatesh and Shreyas have their arms aloft in joy. The Kolkata players come charging onto the park and it is going to be a long night of celebrations.