Venkatesh Iyer ran towards the other end of the crease, arms outstretched. Shreyas Iyer did the same en route to the other end of the crease to complete the run. And with it, the Kolkata Knight Riders had won their third Indian Premier League title.
That was not, however, the first time a player in the Kolkata purple ran and celebrated, with arms wide open, at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. The festivities, in fact, had already begun in the first innings. Put out to bowl first, the Kolkata bowling unit tormented the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.
A team that set a new IPL record for highest score in an innings was sent packing for 113, after 18.3 overs by the Kolkata bowlers. It was a small target, one that the Knight Riders chased down with 57 balls to spare in a memorable eight wicket win .
But it wasn’t just only on Sunday that the Knight Riders proved to be the better team. They have shown throughout the season how strong and well-oiled a unit they are. The openers have fired, the middle order has been effective, and the bowlers shown the stomach for a fight in what has been a season where the batters have dominated.
It is a combination that helped them finish at the top of the table during the group stage. Watching each and every move from the sidelines was Gautam Gambhir, who had captained the Knight Riders to their titles in 2012 and 2014, and returned as a mentor this year as they captured their third win. On Sunday, the performance was just as strong .