Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured a spot in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final with a commanding 36-run victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a nail-biting Qualifier 2 match held in Chennai. Opting to bat first, SRH posted a competitive total of 175, thanks to a collective effort from their batsmen. This total provided a challenging target for RR, who struggled against SRH’s formidable bowling attack.
After losing the toss, SRH was invited to bat by the RR skipper. The team continued their aggressive approach, a strategy they’ve employed successfully throughout the TATA IPL 2024. Despite losing key wickets in the powerplay, SRH showed resilience. Trent Boult spearheaded RR’s bowling attack, creating problems for the SRH openers. Abhishek Sharma, who started with a six and a four, couldn’t stay long as Boult dismissed him in the first over after a misjudged shot.
At the crease, Travis Head took his time to settle, allowing Rahul Tripathi to play aggressively at the other end. Tripathi did not hold back, attacking all bowlers. His innings against R Ashwin and Boult were particularly noteworthy, as he hit boundaries consistently. Tripathi’s knock was short-lived but impactful; his quick-fire 37 off 15 balls gave SRH essential momentum. Boult, however, continued to disrupt SRH’s plans by taking down Aiden Markram soon after.
With SRH at 57 for three in five overs, Head and Heinrich Klaasen began to rebuild the innings. Head’s slow start was compensated by Klaasen’s aggressive approach, who smashed Chahal for a six over mid-wicket. Although there were a few quiet overs, Klaasen held his nerve and continued to bat superbly. Head, meanwhile, fell to Sandeep Sharma, trying to maneuver a ball to third-man.
In the last ten overs, Klaasen took charge. Even though RR’s bowlers kept striking intermittently, SRH managed to keep scoring. Avesh Khan’s double strike in the 14th over could have derailed SRH’s charge, but Klaasen held firm.
. Nitish Reddy’s reverse sweep to third-man gave Chahal his third catch, followed by a first-ball dismissal of Abdul Samad. Despite these setbacks, Klaasen led the resurgence, using his experience to guide SRH to a respectable total. He reached his fifty off 33 balls in the 18th over, with support from Shahbaz Ahmed, who contributed 18 runs after being brought in as an Impact Player. SRH concluded their innings at 175 for nine. For RR, Sandeep (two for 25) and Avesh (three for 27) were the standout bowlers, while Boult also picked up three crucial wickets.
RR began their chase with a promising start. Yashaswi Jaiswal looked in exceptional form, hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first over. Despite the early dismissal of Tom Kohler-Cadmore by Pat Cummins, Jaiswal continued to play aggressively, featuring prominently during the powerplay where RR reached 51 for one.
However, SRH’s spinners changed the game in the middle overs. Shahbaz Ahmed got rid of Yashasvi in the eighth over with Jaiswal caught in the deep after a quick 42 off 21 balls. Soon after, Abhishek Sharma had Sanju Samson caught by Markram at deep mid-wicket. The spin duo further tightened their grip with Shahbaz claiming two more wickets in the 12th over, dismissing Riyan Parag and R Ashwin, leaving RR struggling at 80 for five.
RR’s middle-order efforts to stabilize the innings were in vain as SRH’s bowlers kept things tight. Shimron Hetmyer, introduced as an Impact Player, couldn’t make an impact, and Rovman Powell was equally restrained by SRH’s disciplined attack. Dhruv Jurel stayed resilient, showing considerable temperament under pressure. He reached his fifty off 26 balls, but his lone battle couldn’t shift the game’s momentum as RR’s wickets kept falling.
The spin duo of Shahbaz and Abhishek was instrumental, bagging five wickets between them and conceding only 47 runs in their combined eight overs. This outstanding bowling performance ensured SRH’s victory, setting up a rematch of Qualifier 1 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the TATA IPL 2024 title clash this Sunday in Chennai.
As the final approaches, fans eagerly anticipate another thrilling contest, with both teams aiming to claim the prestigious TATA IPL 2024 trophy.