Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) charged towards a place in the final of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 with an emphatic 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 at Chennai. Opting to bat first, SRH posted a solid 175 on the scoreboard, a total that was ardently defended by their bowlers, culminating in a memorable performance.
Upon being invited to bat by RR, SRH demonstrated their hallmark aggressive approach, starting strong despite losing early wickets in the powerplay. Trent Boult was instrumental in dismantling the SRH top order. Abhishek Sharma initiated the innings with a flourish, smacking a six over mid-wicket and following it up with a four before falling to a cunning delivery from Boult in the first over, a catch elegantly taken on the off-side.
Meanwhile, Travis Head took his time to settle in as Rahul Tripathi played the aggressor. Tripathi, showing commendable form, was relentless regardless of the bowler. He began with a somewhat fortunate four off Ravichandran Ashwin’s second over and carried that momentum forward. Tripathi’s onslaught continued as he found boundaries off Boult and Ashwin, scoring two fours and a six off Ashwin, and another six and four off Boult. However, his aggressive approach led to his downfall, with a mishit finding its way to the short third-man, leaving Tripathi with a compact but impactful 37 off 15 deliveries.
Boult’s potency didn’t end there as he soon dispatched Aiden Markram, who edged to Yuzvendra Chahal at short third-man, placing SRH at 57 for three after five overs. At this critical juncture, runs came at a trickle. Head and Heinrich Klaasen forged a rebuilding partnership, with Head first breaking his shackles with a boundary off Sandeep Sharma in the sixth over. Klaasen engaged with a more aggressive stance, hitting Chahal for a towering six over mid-wicket.
As the overs progressed, RR bowlers managed to keep SRH within a manageable run rate, with Avesh Khan reducing SRH to 120 for six by the 14th over, capturing two crucial wickets, including a reverse-sweeping Nitish Reddy and clean-bowling Abdul Samad on the first ball. However, it was Klaasen’s mature innings that lead SRH out of the mire. He held the innings together with a composed fifty off 33 balls before the closing overs saw Shahbaz Ahmed, substituting as an Impact Player, adding a vital 18 runs.
. SRH eventually reached a defendable 175 for nine with remarkable contributions from Sandeep Sharma (two for 25) and Avesh (three for 27), while Boult concluded with three wickets to his name.
Rajasthan Royals, set to chase 176, looked promising at the onset. Yashaswi Jaiswal was in imperious form, thrashing Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first over. Although Tom Kohler-Cadmore fell early to Pat Cummins, Jaiswal maintained the pressure. Displaying exceptional flair, he accumulated three boundaries and a six off Bhuvneshwar in the sixth over. RR reached a promising 51 for one in the powerplay with Jaiswal steadying the ship.
However, the scripted turnaround came thanks to SRH’s spinners. Shahbaz Ahmed struck, catching a well-set Jaiswal (42 off 21 balls) in the deep. Abhishek Sharma’s introduction soon resulted in Sanju Samson lofting to deep mid-wicket, where Markram was stationed to take a comfortable catch.
As SRH’s spinners exerted further pressure, Shahbaz delivered a double-wicket blow in the 12th over, with Riyan Parag succumbing to a catch at mid-wicket and Ashwin edged to the wicketkeeper. At 80 for five by the end of the 12th over, SRH were firmly on top.
The Royals struggled for momentum thereafter, with Impact Player Shimron Hetmyer unable to break free, and Rovman Powell also muted by the SRH bowling unit. Yet, Dhruv Jurel stood his ground, demonstrating commendable resilience and reaching his fifty off just 26 balls in the penultimate over. Nonetheless, with wickets falling around him, RR’s hopes dimmed as the match trod towards its inevitable conclusion.
Shahbaz and Abhishek, holding the fort with their left-arm spins, were exceptional. Combined, they accounted for five wickets while conceding just 47 runs across their eight overs, ensuring that SRH booked their place in the final. With this resounding victory, SRH set up a much-anticipated rematch against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the title clash on Sunday in Chennai.