Vaibhav Arora has received a heartfelt welcome in his hometown Ambala, Haryana, after his team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) title. KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets to win their third IPL title on May 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
After KKR’s title win, when returned to his hometown, he was welcomed with garlands and loud cheers. In a video that has surfaced on social media, the 26-year-old can be seen greeted by fans who have been gathered in large numbers. The fans could also be seen requesting to take selfies with the cricketer.
Vaibhav Arora received a hero's welcome as he returns to his hometown after KKR's IPL win. 💜 pic.twitter.com/dkMkttLQWi
— Harsh (@NotSoH4rsh) May 31, 2024
Arora, the right-arm medium-fast bowler, was bought by the Kolkata-based franchise in February 2021. After one season, KKR released him and he was bought by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 2022 IPL auction. However, the 26-year-old found his way back to KKR in 2023 and played a key role in their title-winning campaign.
The right-arm seamer enjoyed a memorable campaign with KKR, picking 11 wickets in 10 games, boasting an average of 25.9 and an economy rate of 9.20. He showcased his bowling prowess in the final against Pat Cummins and Co. as well, picking the prized scalp of flamboyant batter Travis Head for a golden duck in the second over of the first innings. Notably, he just conceded 24 runs in his three-over spell. His performance played a crucial role as KKR eventually bundled out SRH for a below-par 113 runs.
Mitchell Starc was the standout performer for KKR in the final, who finished with excellent figures of 2/14, dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi, respectively. Andre Russel claimed a three-wicket haul while Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakaravarthy also picked up wickets for KKR. In response, Venkatesh Iyer played an unbeaten 52 off just 26 deliveries as KKR successfully chased down the target in just 10.3 overs.