Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) delivered a stellar performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2024 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday, delighting fans of the “team in purple.” Among the thrilled spectators was co-owner and Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, who watched the match live from the stands and couldn’t contain his excitement as his team secured a spot in the finals.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Apology Moment: The Story Behind It
The King Khan was joined by his daughter Suhana Khan, younger son AbRam, and manager Pooja Dadlani. Co-owners Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta, along with Suhana’s close friends Ananya Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Navya Nanda, and Agastya Nanda, were also in attendance, cheering for KKR.
After the match, Shah Rukh, Suhana, and AbRam took a victory lap around the stadium, greeting the audience with folded hands and Shah Rukh’s iconic pose. During this celebration, Shah Rukh accidentally walked into JioCinema’s live IPL 2024 Hindi broadcast, interrupting former India cricketers Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, and Parthiv Patel, who were hosting the post-match show. Realizing his mistake, Shah Rukh quickly apologized and gave each of them a warm hug.
Aakash Chopra commented, “What a phenomenal man! A true legend. He didn’t even notice that he had stepped into the broadcast. He was quite apologetic, but I told him, ‘You’ve made our day. You’re the star of the show.'”
Match Recap
Sunrisers Hyderabad opted to bat first but struggled early on, reduced to 39/4 by an impressive powerplay spell from Mitchell Starc. A 62-run partnership between Rahul Tripathi (55 off 35 balls, with seven fours and a six) and Heinrich Klaasen (32 off 21 balls, with three fours and a six) helped SRH surpass the 100-run mark. Despite their efforts, SRH continued losing wickets, with a late cameo from skipper Mitchell Starc (30 off 24 balls, with two fours and two sixes) pushing the total to a respectable 159 in 19.3 overs.
Starc shone for KKR with figures of 3/34 in four overs, supported by Varun Chakravarthy’s 2/26. Sunil Narine,Vaibhav Arora and Andre Russell each took a wicket.
Chasing a target of 160 runs, KKR’s openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23 from 14 balls, featuring two fours and two sixes) and Sunil Narine (21 from 16 balls, including four boundaries) set a strong foundation. Captain Shreyas Iyer (58* from 24 balls, with five fours and four sixes) and Venkatesh Iyer (51* from 28 balls, with five fours and four sixes) then dominated, guiding KKR to an eight-wicket victory with 38 balls remaining.
Road to the Final
With this win, KKR secured a direct spot in the final, while SRH will have another chance in Qualifier 2 against the winner of the eliminator match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday. Starc was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his outstanding performance.
KKR is set to play in their fourth IPL final, which will take place in Chennai this Sunday.. The upcoming match will determine whether RCB, SRH, or RR will face KKR in the ultimate showdown.
About the Author
