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Best IPL Team 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders create history!

Under old mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the franchise after years, and young captain Shreyas Iyer, IPL’s Knight Riders franchise emerged as a superior side that hardly put a step wrong.

Subhayan Dutta
Subhayan Dutta

Last Updated: 2024-06-14

Kaylan Geekie

5 minutes read

Kolkata Knight Riders' players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League

Image Credits: R.SATISH BABU/AFP via Getty Images

Title winners Kolkata Knight Riders have easily been the best IPL team in 2024 following their domineering season. Not only did the side lose just three of the 14 league games they played on their way to the final, but also bettered many records in the process.

Image Credits: @mufaddal_vohra( X Account)

Image Credits: @mufaddal_vohra( X Account)

Under old mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the franchise after years, and young captain Shreyas Iyer, IPL’s Knight Riders franchise emerged as a superior side that hardly put a step wrong.

The best example of that was their Net Run Rate of 1.428, which was the most by any side in IPL history.

IPL 2024 Points Table

IPL 2024 Points Table

RanksTeamsMatchesWonLostPointsNRR
1Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)1493201.428
2Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)1485170.414
3Rajasthan Royals (RR)1485170.273
4Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCB)1477140.459
5Chennai Super Kings (CSK)1477140.392
6Delhi Capitals (DC)147714-0.377
7Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)147714-0.667
8Gujarat Titans (GT)145712-1.063
9Punjab Kings (PBKS)145910-0.353
10Mumbai Indians (MI)144108-0.318

Having won the title previously in 2012 and 2014, KKR had a blueprint of their pathway with the franchise leading the charts in many scenarios. 

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KKR hit Most Boundaries in IPL 2024

PositionTeamBoundaries
1Kolkata Knight Riders238
2Rajasthan Royals236
3Royal Challngers Bangalore229
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Thanks to openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, KKR would get off to explosive starts more often than not and accumulate gigantic totals that boosted their net run rate in the overall scheme of things. Both the batters ended up hitting 50 boundaries in 15 matches and lead the list of players hitting the most fours in an inning (Salt: 14 boundaries; Narine: 13 boundaries).

Image Credits: @baabi_98 (X Account)

Image Credits: @baabi_98 (X Account)

KKR bowled Most Dot Balls in IPL 2024

PositionTeamBoundaries
1Kolkata Knight Riders623
2Rajasthan Royals592
3Royal Challngers Bangalore581
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Leading the charge of the ball was Kolkata Knight Riders’ mystery spinner Suni Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. After the batters whacked the ball all around the park, the spinning duo ensured that the opponents choked on dot balls and were forced to make mistakes. While Narine and Chakravarthy bowled 127 and 125 dot balls, respectively, premier fast bowler Mitchell Starc chipped in with 105 blanks of his own.  

Image Credits: @KkrKaravan (X Account)

Image Credits: @KkrKaravan (X Account)

KKR took the Most Wickets in IPL 2024

PositionTeamBoundaries
1Kolkata Knight Riders110
2Punjab Kings101
3Delhi Capitals99
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KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy missed the purple cap to Harshal Patel (24 wickets) by just three wickets as two of KKR’s matches were washed out in the later stages of the tournament. While Chakravarthy ended with 21 wickets, KKR also saw all-rounders Harshit Rana (19), Andre Russell (19) and Sunil Narine (17) contributing to the cause. 

KKR took Most Catches in IPL 2024

PositionTeamBoundaries
1Kolkata Knight Riders81
2Punjab Kings70
3Rajasthan Royals69
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After batting and bowling, the Purple and Gold Army dominated on the field as well, taking as many as 81 catches in the entire tournament. The next best fielding sides were Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals who took 11 and 12 catches lesser than KKR, respectively, which goes on to show the sharpness in their fielding.

KKR | The Chaser Master of IPL 2024   

During the 2024 IPL season, KKR had the opportunity to bat second in five matches, and under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, they won all of those games.

Shreyas Iyer's Unbeaten Run During Chases

KKR captain Shreyas Iyer was the backbone of the team's run chases in IPL 2024, remaining unbeaten whenever they batted second. Throughout the season, Iyer accumulated 351 runs in 14 matches, boasting a strike rate of 146.86 and an average of 39.

Less Reliance On Andre Russell's Batting

Typically a key figure in KKR's batting lineup, Andre Russell didn't need to bat during any of the team's chases this season. This reflects the strength and consistency of KKR's batting performance in 2024, where they frequently avoided trouble.

Image Credits: @Rokte_Amarr_KKR (X.com)

Image Credits: @Rokte_Amarr_KKR (X.com)

Efficient Run Chases

KKR's dominance was evident in their efficient run chases. They never required more than 17 overs to reach their targets in the five matches where they batted second, showcasing their ability to overpower opponents with ease.

KKR dominated Every Powerplay

KKR's opening duo of Phil Salt and Sunil Narine consistently provided strong starts throughout the season. Even when Rahmanullah Gurbaz replaced Salt in the final two matches, KKR's dominance in the first six overs persisted. Demonstrating their supremacy in run chases, KKR scored over 60 runs in the powerplay in every match where they batted second.

Interesting Facts That Make KKR the Best Team in IPL 2024

●    In the IPL 2024 final, KKR achieved a resounding victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), completing the chase with 57 balls remaining—the largest margin in an IPL playoff game. The previous record was KKR's win with 38 balls left in Qualifier 1, also against SRH in Ahmedabad.

●    In the final, KKR restricted SRH to a mere 113 runs, setting a new low for an IPL final; the previous lowest was 125 for 9 by CSK against MI in 2013.

●    KKR bowled out their opponents six times in IPL 2024, the most by any team in a single IPL season, surpassing MI's record of four in 2008 and 2010.

●    Mitchell Starc made history by being named Player of the Match twice in the playoffs of an IPL season, earning the award in both Qualifier 1 and the final against SRH.

●    Sunil Narine clinched the MVP award for the third time in his IPL career (2012, 2018, and 2024), becoming the first player to do so, surpassing Shane Watson and Andre Russell, who each won twice.

●    Venkatesh Iyer scored a 24-ball fifty in the final, tying the record for the fastest in an IPL final, matching Suresh Raina (2010) and David Warner (2016).

FAQ

Which team most runs in IPL 2024?

Sunrisers Hyderabad scored the most runs in IPL 2024 tallying 3052 runs in the way to the final. They were followed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2930 runs) and Kolkata Knight Riders (2667).

Who is the MVP of IPL 2024?

Sunil Narine is having a tremendous season in the IPL 2024. He was a good batsman and ball player. Because he received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, he was named Sunil Narine of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Who is the IPL 2024 Orange Cap?

Virat Kohli of the RCB amassed 741 runs and captured the Orange Cap twice in his career. Find out who the leading scorers of runs are. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Indian batsman Virat Kohli won the Orange Cap with 741 runs from 15 matches.

Subhayan Dutta
Subhayan DuttaSports Writer

An M.A. in English Literature, Subhayan is an experienced journalist and sports writer. Having worked as a journalist at Hindustan Times, Subhayan covered diverse beats including sports, education, and health, showcasing his versatility and in-depth understanding of various subjects.