In a thrilling clash at Chennai, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) emerged victorious with a 36-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. This crucial victory propels SRH into the IPL 2024 final, where they will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in what promises to be an explosive showdown.
Put into bat by RR after losing the toss, SRH set a challenging target of 175. Despite a few early setbacks, their batsmen showed aggressive intent right from the onset. Trent Boult, the wily New Zealand pacer, gave RR a promising start by removing Abhishek Sharma early on. Sharma had initially smacked Boult for a six over mid-wicket and followed it up with a four, showcasing his aggression, but Boult retaliated swiftly by inducing a false shot that was caught on the offside.
Travis Head and Rahul Tripathi then took charge. While Head took time to settle, Tripathi unleashed an array of strokes, taking on bowlers irrespective of their reputation. In a pivotal second over of off-spinner R Ashwin, Tripathi edged his first boundary to third-man and continued his assault with more boundaries off subsequent deliveries from both Ashwin and Boult. Tripathi was eventually dismissed by Boult for a combative 37 off 15 balls, giving SRH significant momentum.
Boult continued to wield his magic by dismissing Aiden Markram. After five overs, SRH were 57 for three. Head and Heinrich Klaasen then aimed to stabilize the innings. Head’s first boundary came in the sixth over off Sandeep Sharma, while Klaasen started accelerating with a six over mid-wicket off Chahal in the eighth over. After a couple of quiet overs, Head edged one to third-man off Sandeep, falling victim to RR’s bowling discipline.
Klaasen, however, marshaled the middle and lower order effectively. Despite the occasional breakthroughs – such as Avesh Khan’s twin strikes in the 14th over where Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad fell in quick succession – Klaasen stuck to his guns. His determination saw him reach a well-made fifty off 33 balls in the 18th over. Shahbaz Ahmed, introduced as an Impact Player, also chipped in with a useful 18 runs towards the end.
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A final score of 175 for nine was accomplished, with Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, and Trent Boult emerging as RR’s standout bowlers, picking up three wickets each.
RR’s chase commenced with high hopes as Yashaswi Jaiswal looked in sublime form. He immediately set the tone by dispatching Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six over mid-wicket in the opening over. However, SRH claimed their first scalp when Pat Cummins trapped Tom Kohler-Cadmore, providing SRH an early breakthrough. Jaiswal continued his attack, particularly targeting Bhuvneshwar, taking three fours and a six in the sixth over.
Heading into the middle overs at 51 for one, RR seemed to be in a good position. However, SRH’s spinners turned the game on its head. Shahbaz Ahmed’s introduction effectively curbed RR’s momentum as he dismissed Jaiswal, who was caught in the deep for a well-made 42 off 21 balls. This set the stage for SRH’s spinners to tighten the noose further.
Skipper Sanju Samson, trying to consolidate, fell into Abhishek Sharma’s trap, lofting one to deep mid-wicket where he was caught by Markram. Shahbaz then delivered a double blow in the 12th over, removing Riyan Parag and R Ashwin in quick succession, reducing RR to a precarious 80 for five.
RR’s lower order struggled to mount a comeback. Impact Player Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell couldn’t break free from the stranglehold of SRH’s bowlers. Dhruv Jurel, exhibiting tremendous resilience under pressure, provided a lone fightback with a gutsy 50 off 26 balls in the penultimate over. Despite his efforts, it was too little too late, and RR fell short by 36 runs.
The key to SRH’s success lay with their left-arm spinners, Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma, whose combined figures of five wickets for 47 runs in eight overs stifled the RR innings.
With this emphatic victory, SRH now sets up a thrilling rematch of Qualifier 1 against KKR in the final, scheduled for Sunday in Chennai. Cricket enthusiasts eagerly await this grand finale, hoping for another display of high-octane cricket.