In an intense battle at Chennai’s historic stadium, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) showcased a remarkable all-round performance to secure their spot in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final by defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) with a convincing 36-run victory in Qualifier 2. The exhilarating match saw SRH reach a competitive total of 175 runs, which they adeptly defended with a memorable bowling display.
After being invited to bat first by Rajasthan Royals, SRH demonstrated their aggressive strategy right from the start, a hallmark of their approach throughout the TATA IPL 2024 season. Despite losing a few quick wickets in the powerplay, the Sunrisers remained committed to their offensive gameplay. RR’s Trent Boult led his team’s early attack, making significant inroads by claiming important wickets. Abhishek Sharma launched SRH’s innings with a lofty six over mid-wicket followed by a four, only for Boult to retaliate in the very first over by drawing a miscue from Sharma, caught smartly on the off-side.
Subsequently, Travis Head, initially cautious, paired with Rahul Tripathi, who took on an aggressive role at the other end. Irrespective of the bowler standing against him, Tripathi fearlessly unleashed his shots, ensuring SRH maintained the upper hand. The third over, delivered by R Ashwin, saw Tripathi connect a slightly edgy four through third-man. Boult was once again at the receiving end as Tripathi dispatched him for a boundary in the succeeding over. Ashwin’s return in the fourth over met with a blitz from Tripathi, who smashed two fours and a six. Boult’s return saw Tripathi hit a six and a four, but another adventurous stroke led to Tripathi guiding a slower delivery from Boult into the hands of the short third-man, ending his rapid 37 off 15 balls and giving SRH significant early momentum.
Boult continued his spell of destruction by dismissing SRH’s Aiden Markram, who edged a delivery to Yuzvendra Chahal at short third-man. At the conclusion of five overs, Sunrisers were scoring briskly at 57 for three. From here, a period of rebuilding ensued with Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen at the crease. Head, initially struggling to get going, found the boundary against Sandeep Sharma in the sixth over. Klaasen, on the other hand, signaled his intent by lofting Chahal for a massive six over mid-wicket in the eighth over. A few quiet overs ensued, triggering an erroneous shot from Head, who edged Sandeep to third-man.
During the innings’ latter half, Heinrich Klaasen shepherded the SRH innings. Despite Rajasthan’s bowlers continually picking wickets within these overs to restrict SRH’s charge, Klaasen anchored the innings.
. Avesh Khan stood out in the 14th over, removing Nitish Reddy who attempted an audacious reverse sweep, landing it in the hands of a third-man fielder—Chahal, once again, who was outstanding in the field. Abdul Samad was out first ball, but Klaasen’s resilience shone through as he steered SRH from 120 for six to a defensive total. Klaasen reached his impressive fifty off just 33 deliveries and with Shahbaz Ahmed as an Impact Player, contributing 18 valuable runs, SRH reached a commendable total of 175 for nine. For the Royals, Sandeep Sharma and Avesh Khan delivered stellar performances, taking two for 25 and three for 27, respectively, alongside Boult’s three wickets.
Rajasthan’s chase commenced with Yashasvi Jaiswal exhibiting fantastic form, as he dismissed a delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six over the mid-wicket in the opening over. Despite an initially promising start, RR faced immediate setbacks as Pat Cummins uprooted Tom Kohler-Cadmore. The sixth over was when Jaiswal truly shone, hitting three fours and a six off Bhuveshwar. RR concluded their powerplay at a hopeful 51 for one with Jaiswal seemingly well-set.
However, the middle overs marked a dramatic shift as SRH’s spinners stole the spotlight, turning the tide in Hyderabad’s favor. Shahbaz made a crucial breakthrough by removing Jaiswal (42 off 21 balls) in the eighth over, caught deep. Abhishek joined the attack, dismissing Sanju Samson shortly after, caught by Markram in the deep. SRH spinners continued their grip on the match as Shahbaz claimed a double-wicket strike in the 12th over, dismissing Riyan Parag and inducing an edge from Ashwin to the keeper. With Rajasthan staggering at 80 for five in 12 overs, SRH dominated the game.
The Royals could not regain their footing, as SRH bowlers ensured that impact players like Shimron Hetmyer found no room to manoeuvre. Rovman Powell was equally stifled by SRH’s exceptional bowling. Amid mounting pressure and with wickets constantly tumbling, Dhruv Jurel stood as RR’s lone warrior, displaying significant grit by reaching his fifty off 26 balls in the penultimate over. However, SRH was firmly on track to win, with the match winding down to an inevitable conclusion in their favor.
It was Shahbaz and Abhishek, SRH’s proficient left-arm spinners, who decisively turned the game around, collectively taking five wickets and conceding only 47 runs in their combined eight overs. This commanding performance by SRH set the stage for a thrilling rematch of Qualifier 1, where Hyderabad will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the ultimate title showdown in Chennai this coming Sunday.