NEW DELHI: Indian cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag led the chorus of congratulatory messages to Kolkata Knight Riders after they clinched their third Indian Premier League title.
KKR delivered a stellar performance, dismantling Sunrisers Hyderabad for a mere 113 runs, securing an eight-wicket victory on Sunday.
Reflecting on KKR's dominant campaign, Tendulkar praised the team for their consistency and highlighted the pivotal role of their bowlers in the latter stages of the tournament.
"What a consistent performance by KKR! Their batters started the campaign with a bang, but it was the bowlers who took centre stage during the latter stages of the tournament. All their bowlers chipped in tonight, taking wickets and making the run chase relatively easy. Congratulations to all the players and coaching staff on winning the third trophy for their franchise! @GautamGambhir and @iamsrk," Tendulkar wrote.
Sachin also commiserated with SRH, acknowledging their spirited performances throughout the season.
Sehwag, known for his poetic flair, congratulated KKR with a reference to Shah Rukh Khan's famous dialogue: "Many congratulations KKR on a 3rd IPL title. As @iamsrk [Shah Rukh Khan] says, Kisi cheez ko dil se chaho toh poori kaaynat use tumse milaane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai. Special credit to @ShreyasIyer15 [Shreyas Iyer] for leading the side brilliantly in the field and executing the plans so well. It's great to see earlier Nehra ji and now Gautam succeed as mentors and win their team championships. Well done. #IPL2024."
Bollywood actress and Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta also joined in, expressing her admiration for KKR's achievement.
"Congratulations for such an incredible win and your third IPL title @KKRiders, @iamsrk, @iam_juhi. Hard Luck @SunRisers. You guys were great throughout the tournament."
India fast bowler Mohammed Shami added his congratulations, emphasizing the strategic brilliance of Gautam Gambhir and the team's hard work.
"Huge Congratulations to KKR on Winning the IPL trophy! Salute to SRK Spirit and Strategic brilliance of Gambhir. This has been an incredible journey, and I'm so proud of the hard work and dedication everyone put in. Well deserved, champions."
KKR's $2.9 million signing, Mitchell Starc, played a crucial role in the final, rattling SRH's top order with figures of 2-14. All six Kolkata bowlers contributed to bowling out the most aggressive batting team of the season for the lowest ever total in IPL final history.
Venkatesh Iyer then spearheaded KKR's chase with a blazing 26-ball unbeaten 52, guiding the team to 114-2 in just 10.3 overs, sealing their victory and the IPL title.
