Shreyas Iyer was a proud captain on Tuesday evening as he propelled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) into their fourth IPL (Indian Premier League) final after a thumping win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The win has helped Shreyas to become the first and the only captain in the history of the cash-rich league to lead two teams into the IPL finals.
This is the first time KKR have made it to the finals of the Indian Premier League under the leadership of Shreyas. He had previously led Delhi Capitals (DC) into the summit clash of the 2020 edition where they lost to the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) by five wickets.
Shreyas was in blazing form in Qualifier 1 and took the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers to the cleaners. The right-handed batter recorded his second half-century of the ongoing edition as he smashed 58* off just 24 balls with the help of five fours and four maximums.
The KKR captain took responsibility for the chase and ensured that his side crossed the line without many hiccups. He batted at a strike rate of 241.66 and it never allowed the SRH bowlers to get off the hook. His knock combined with a well-compiled 51* off 28 balls by Venkatesh Iyer allowed the two-time IPL winners KKR by eight wickets and with 38 balls to spare.
The KKR skipper was "elated" after the win over and lauded all of his bowlers for stepping up to the occasion when it mattered the most.
"Elated. Everyone came and chipped in with responsibility. The rejuvenation was important. It's not easy when you keep travelling across states. We stayed in the present which was important. We maximised every opportunity we got. The way each and every bowler stood up to the occasion (was great). We struck even when the rate went up. Their attitude was great always," said Shreyas during the post-match presentation.
