Mitchell Starc was magical. Andre Russell was mesmerising. Gautam Gambhir remained stoic. Shah Rukh Khan hid his emotions behind a mask. Those contrasting pictures vividly conveyed Kolkata Knight Riders’s annihilation of Sunrisers Hyderabad in a lopsided final to bag their third Indian Premier League title here on Sunday. 

In a season dominated from start to finish, KKR’s bowling unit was inch perfect, leaving Sunrisers in shambles while bowling them out for a paltry 113 in 18.3 overs. It was the tournament’s lowest ever summit-clash score. Venkatesh Iyer (52 not out, 26b, 4x4, 3x6) then helped KKR complete the formalities in just 10.3 overs. He also ensured that fellow Iyer—skipper Shreyas Iyer—had a ‘Knight’ to remember after enduring a harrowing last four months where the Indian cricket establishment robbed him of some dignity.