In an electrifying clash at Chennai, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) clinched a spot in the final of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 with a clinical 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2. Opting to bat first, SRH posted a competitive total of 175 on the scoreboard, which their bowlers defended with precision.
Upon being invited to bat by RR, SRH’s batsmen showcased aggressive intent right from the outset, a hallmark of their campaign in the TATA IPL 2024. Despite losing a few early wickets, the SRH batters maintained their attacking approach. Trent Boult struck early for RR, dismissing Abhishek Sharma in the first over. Sharma started promisingly with a six over mid-wicket and a four, but Boult’s persistence paid off, as he induced a false shot that was caught on the off-side.
Travis Head steadied the innings alongside Rahul Tripathi, who took the attack to the bowlers. Tripathi played fearlessly, picking boundaries irrespective of the bowler. He launched R Ashwin for a four through third-man, albeit a bit edgy, and followed it up with further aggression against Boult, hitting two fours and a six off the seasoned pacer. However, his blistering knock ended at 37 off 15 balls, giving SRH crucial momentum before he fell to a slower ball from Boult, guiding it to short third-man.
Boult continued to inflict damage by dismissing SRH skipper Aiden Markram, caught at short third-man. With SRH at 57 for three after five overs, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen began the task of rebuilding. While Head was initially restrained, he broke the shackles in the sixth over, pulling Sandeep Sharma for his first boundary. Klassen, on the other hand, showed his intent by smacking Chahal over mid-wicket for a six.
The middle overs saw some quietude, with RR managing to stem the flow of runs. Sandeep Sharma’s persistence bore fruit as he dismissed Head with a ball guided to third-man. The match then saw Avesh Khan striking twice in the 14th over, sending Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad back to the pavilion in quick succession, with Samad falling for a golden duck.
Despite the quick wickets, Klaasen held firm and ensured SRH reached a defendable score. He brought up his half-century in style off 33 balls in the 18th over, providing SRH’s bowlers with a sufficient cushion.
. Shahbaz Ahmed, brought in as an Impact Player, chipped in with a handy 18 runs as SRH closed their innings at 175 for nine. For RR, Avesh Khan and Trent Boult were the standout bowlers, taking three wickets apiece.
In response, RR’s chase began on a promising note with Yashaswi Jaiswal in sublime form. He took Bhuvneshwar Kumar to task, hitting him for a six over mid-wicket in the opening over. However, SRH struck back when Pat Cummins dismissed Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Jaiswal continued to attack, especially targeting Bhuvneshwar in the sixth over, which yielded three fours and a six. At the end of the powerplay, RR were well positioned at 51 for one, with Jaiswal set on 42 off 21 balls.
Just as Jaiswal appeared to take the game away, SRH’s spinners turned the tables. Shahbaz Ahmed broke through by catching Jaiswal in the deep in the eighth over. Soon after, Samson’s lofted shot was taken by Markram at deep mid-wicket. The spinners continued to tighten the noose, with Shahbaz delivering a double blow in the 12th over – dismissing Riyan Parag and R Ashwin in quick succession.
At 80 for five after 12 overs, RR found themselves in deep trouble. The introduction of Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell as Impact Players brought a renewed hope, but they were unable to break free from the grip of SRH’s disciplined attack. Dhruv Jurel was the only silver lining for RR, fighting valiantly under pressure to reach his fifty off 26 balls in the penultimate over. However, by then, SRH was firmly on course to victory.
The dual left-arm spin attack of Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma, who together scalped five wickets while conceding just 47 runs in their combined eight overs, proved crucial in SRH’s dominant performance. This emphatic win sets up an exciting rematch of Qualifier 1 as SRH prepare to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the grand finale on Sunday at Chennai.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s strategic and inspired performance has not only secured their place in the final but has also ensured that they come into the title clash with momentum and confidence, eager to clinch the prestigious TATA IPL 2024 trophy.