Russell in tears, Starc lifts Shreyas while Gambhir can’t stop smiling as KKR stars show raw emotions after IPL win

Kolkata Knight Riders played a dominant brand of cricket to win their IPL title on Sunday with a comprehensive 8-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday. In the finale, KKR stamped their authority right from the first over of the game, with Mitchell Starc bamboozling Abhishek Sharma with an absolute jaffa. SRH just didn’t fail to recover from that and kept trailing behind throughout the match.

It was Venkatesh Iyer who scored the winning runs for KKR to lift their third IPL title but there were several players in their camp who were enjoying this feeling for the first time as they shared emotions in different. Star all-rounder Andre Russell, who was winning the title for the second time, was in tears seconds after KKR won the final. He played a crucial role in his team’s title triumph which was not the case in the 2014 victory where he played just two matches.

“No words to describe [holds his tears]. It means so much. I am happy that all of us were very disciplined and worked towards one goal. This franchise has done a lot for me. It’s a big gift from all of us to them,” Russell told the broadcaster after the game.

Gautam Gambhir, who is not known for showing many emotions, was all elated for winning his first IPL title as mentor as he lifted Sunil Narine and vice versa after the match. The young players in the side including Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Harshit Rana were all charged up during the celebration. They also hugged the coaching staff members – Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar for their constant support throughout the campaign.

Another moment which stole the limelight was Aussie star paceman Mitchell Starc lifting skipper Shreyas Iyer after winning the title. Starc, who was bought by KKR for a record-breaking 24.75 crore in the IPL auction, proved his worth through Player of the Match performances in the qualifier 1 and final against SRH with his stellar show with the new ball.

Meanwhile, KKR’s bowling unit was inch-perfect on a helpful pitch leaving Sunrisers in a shambles while bowling them out for a paltry 113 in 18.3 overs. It was the tournament’s lowest-ever score in the final as KKR bowlers hunted in a pac to decimate the star-studded SHR line-up. Venkatesh Iyer (52 not out, 26b, 4×4, 3×6) made the chase a cakewalk for his side as KKR complete the formalities in just 10.3 overs.