Kolkata routs Hyderabad by 8 wickets in Indian Premier League final, wins title for third time

CHENNAI, India (AP) — Kolkata Knight Riders clinched its third Indian Premier League title after it dismantled the batting powerhouse of Sunrisers Hyderabad for only 113 runs and went on to win the final by eight wickets with 57 balls remaining on Sunday.

The $2.9 million signing Mitchell Starc rattled Hyderabad’s top-order with 2-14 and all six Kolkata bowlers took wickets before the most aggressive batting team this season was bowled out for the lowest ever total in the history of IPL finals in 18.3 overs.

Venkatesh Iyer then led Kolkata to 114-2 in 10.3 overs with a blazing 26-ball unbeaten 52 with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 39 in 32.

Kolkata previously won the IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 and had dominated this season by finishing on top at the end of league stage.

It beat Hyderabad both in the league stage and also in the qualifier before routing Pat Cummins’ side in a one-sided final.

Hyderabad had won the toss and chose to bat first. Starc started the rout when he clean bowled Abhishek Sharma with a ball that swung away from the left-hander and knocked back the off stump. Travis Head, who had scored quick runs for Hyderabad throughout the season, edged Vaibhav Arora’s first ball and went for a golden duck. At 6-2 in two overs, Hyderabad struggled to recover from that double loss.

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Starc’s three-over spell in the power play gave Kolkata another wicket when Rahul Tripathi top-edged the Australian left-arm quick.

Andre Russell then mopped up the lower order with 3-19 and Hyderabad was in danger of not making 100 before Cummins hit 24 off 19 balls and was the last man dismissed in the penultimate over.

Kolkata lost Sunil Narine early in the chase before Iyer, who smashed three sixes and four boundaries, and Gurbaz effectively sealed the game with some aggressive hitting in a 91-run stand.

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