KKR Shreyas Iyer lauds teammates after IPL triumph, says we played like Invincibles throughout
tataipl2024 winner
The IPL 2024 table-toppers, Kolkata Knight Riders, emerged victorious this season by beating SunRisers Hyderabad in the most one-sided IPL Final in Chennai on Sunday (May 26)
Winning their third trophy overall, their first since 2014, KKR players and fans were elated after the win, with Captain Shreyas Iyer lauding the unit for playing tremendous cricket throughout. Having lost just three games across all stages this year, Iyer said his team "played like invincibles.
"This is what we demanded from the team and every individual, they stood up on the right occasion," Shreyas said after the title win.
"It is hard to express how we are feeling right now. The wait was so long. We played like invincibles throughout the season. There is so much to cherish right now."
"It is pleasing, and the performance has been flawless throughout. We have been tremendous right from game one, and when we stepped [out] all we demanded from ourselves was to back each other no matter the situation. The game could have gone either way. They have been playing phenomenal cricket, SRH, throughout the season," the KKR captain further said.
Iyer praises Starc, Russell
Team balance led KKR to their third IPL title, and two players - Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Andre Russell, were vital in the team's success. While Russell was on the top of his game throughout, scoring 222 runs and picking 19 wickets, including three in the final, Starc upped the ante during the fag end of the tournament, picking 17 wickets in total.
Praising the duo for stepping up in the games that mattered the most, Iyer said,
"That [big games] is when all the big players stand up," he said of Starc.
"It was a high-pressure game. He has been so good off the field. He has never shown any sort of complacency in his work ethic. Every time we used to go to the plunge pool, he used to be there... Something for everyone to learn," Iyer added.
Speaking about Russell, KKR's asset, Iyer said he is a lucky charm for the franchise, with everyone proud of his performance.
"He has got that magic wand, which he is hiding somewhere on the field," Shreyas said of Dre Russ. "He is hoping to come and bowl and deliver for the team. He is waiting for me to call him all the time.
"Russell has been lucky for us. Almost in a majority of the games, whenever he has bowled, he has picked up the wickets, and he has given us the breakthrough," he concluded.