In a thrilling contest at Chennai, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured their place in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final with a dominant 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2. By setting a target of 175 runs and displaying a remarkable bowling performance, SRH ensured they will compete for the title.
Opting to bat first after RR won the toss and elected to bowl, SRH carried their aggressive approach from the earlier part of the tournament into the first 10 overs. Despite losing early wickets during the powerplay, the intent to score big was clear. Trent Boult, the key early bowler for RR, made significant inroads. Abhishek Sharma attempted to set a positive tone, smashing a six over mid-wicket followed by a boundary, but his efforts were cut short by Boult, who managed to induce a false shot, leading to Abhishek’s dismissal.
Travis Head and Rahul Tripathi joined forces at the crease, with Tripathi taking a more aggressive stance. He launched a series of calculated shots against the RR bowlers, particularly attacking Ravi Ashwin and Boult. Tripathi’s aggressive innings came to an end when he was dismissed after scoring 37 off 15 balls, with Boult again playing the part of the destroyer.
The loss of Aiden Markram, who edged one to Yuzvendra Chahal, saw SRH in a spot of bother at 57 for three at the end of five overs. Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen then focused on rebuilding the innings. Head, initially subdued, began to find his rhythm, registering his first boundary off Sandeep Sharma in the sixth over. Klaasen, entering in the middle, soon showed his firepower by hitting Chahal for a six over mid-wicket.
However, a period of restraint led to Head’s departure as he misjudged a shot off Sandeep Sharma. The middle and lower orders succumbed to further blows as Avesh Khan struck twice in the 14th over, removing Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad in quick succession. Amidst the falling wickets, Klaasen stood firm, steering SRH to a competitive total with his composed fifty off 33 balls, assisted by Shahbaz Ahmed who added a valuable 18 runs as an Impact Player.
. SRH concluded their innings at 175 for nine, with Sandeep and Avesh emerging as the top bowlers for RR with figures of two for 25 and three for 27 respectively, while Boult also claimed three wickets.
Chasing 176, RR’s innings began on a promising note with Yashaswi Jaiswal finding his rhythm early, hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first over. Jaiswal continued to exploit gaps in the field, accumulating runs swiftly. However, RR faced their first setback when Pat Cummins removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Jaiswal, undeterred, unleashed a series of boundaries off Bhuvneshwar, bringing RR to a comfortable 51 for one by the end of the powerplay.
The middle overs saw a dramatic shift as SRH’s spin duo, Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma, tightened their grip on the game. Shahbaz broke RR’s momentum with Jaiswal’s crucial wicket for 42 in the eighth over. Shortly after, Sanju Samson fell to Abhishek’s cunning delivery, lofting the ball to deep mid-wicket only to be caught by Markram.
As the pressure mounted, Shahbaz delivered a pivotal over in the 12th, capturing two crucial wickets – Riyan Parag and R Ashwin – both caught out, which left RR struggling at 80 for five. Despite bringing in Shimron Hetmyer as an Impact Player, RR’s efforts to resurrect the innings faltered. Rovman Powell too found it challenging to break free against the tight bowling controlled by SRH.
The only significant resistance from RR came from Dhruv Jurel, whose fifty off 26 balls in the penultimate over was a display of remarkable temperament amidst the intense pressure. But with wickets tumbling around him, Jurel’s efforts were insufficient to tilt the match in RR’s favor.
SRH’s bowlers, particularly spinners Shahbaz and Abhishek, were the architects of their success, sharing five wickets between them and conceding just 47 runs in their combined eight overs. This brilliant performance steered SRH to victory and secured them a place in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in what promises to be an exhilarating title clash in Chennai on Sunday.