In a thrilling contest at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) clinched a dramatic victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. With a 36-run triumph, SRH sealed their spot in the final, setting up an exciting encounter with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the coveted title.
Winning the toss, Rajasthan Royals chose to bowl first, allowing Sunrisers Hyderabad to take the field with the bat. Known for their aggressive style of play throughout the tournament, SRH maintained their attacking intent right from the outset, despite losing crucial wickets during the powerplay phase. It was Trent Boult who brought early breakthroughs for RR, dismissing SRH opener Abhishek Sharma, who had begun with an audacious six and a four. Boult skilfully enticed Sharma into a misstep, resulting in a catch at the off-side.
As the innings progressed, Travis Head focused on stabilizing the score while his partner, Rahul Tripathi, opted for a more aggressive approach. Tripathi, displaying his combative prowess, tackled every bowler with aerial shots. R Ashwin was targeted first, with Tripathi lofting a four through third-man. By the time Boult returned, Tripathi had already belted two more fours and a commanding six off Ashwin. His dismissal, however, was inevitable as Boult’s slower ball tricked him into a catch by Yuzvendra Chahal, marking a fiery 37 off 15 balls.
Boult’s dominance continued when he snatched Aiden Markram’s wicket shortly after, by luring an edge that Chahal securely held. SRH faced a setback standing at 57 for three in the fifth over. The rebuilding responsibility then fell to Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. Head’s first significant contribution came with a boundary in the sixth over, courtesy of Sandeep Sharma. Shortly after, Klaasen made his presence known with a monstrous six off Chahal in the eighth over. Despite a few quiet overs, Head’s innings came to a halt when a misjudged shot turned into a catch at third-man, courtesy of Sandeep.
Entering the latter half of the innings, Klaasen led the charge to elevate SRH’s score.
. Although Rajasthan’s bowlers kept striking back, particularly Avesh Khan, who landed two key wickets in the 14th over including Nitish Reddy’s reverse-sweep catch by Chahal and Abdul Samad’s first-ball dismissal, Klaasen stood resilient. His fifty came off 33 balls in the 18th over, playing a pivotal role in increasing SRH’s total from 120 for six to a formidable 175 for nine. Shahbaz Ahmed, introduced as an Impact Player, contributed a vital 18 runs, pushing the score forward. Among RR’s bowlers, Sandeep Sharma (two for 25) and Avesh Khan (three for 27) were the leading performers, with Boult finishing with three important wickets.
Rajasthan Royals, embarking on their chase, witnessed Yashaswi Jaiswal starting with flourish, sending Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the opening over. By the end of the powerplay, RR had accumulated 51 runs for the loss of one wicket, appearing poised for a competitive pursuit with Jaiswal at the helm.
However, the scenario quickly shifted once SRH’s tactical spin bowling came into play during the middle overs. Shahbaz Ahmed became the game-changer, taking out Jaiswal for 42, caught in the deep during the eighth over. Shortly after, Abhishek Sharma secured Sanju Samson’s wicket with a lofted shot caught at deep mid-wicket by Markram. The pressure mounted, and Shahbaz tightened SRH’s grip by capturing Riyan Parag and R Ashwin’s wickets in the 12th over, leaving RR staggering at 80 for five.
From that juncture, Rajasthan struggled to recover. The introduction of Shimron Hetmyer as an Impact Player failed to reignite their innings as SRH’s disciplined bowling persisted. Even Rovman Powell found no relief from the relentless attack. Amid this pressure, only Dhruv Jurel stood out, showcasing remarkable composure to reach a fifty off just 26 balls. Despite Jurel’s valiant efforts, the RR innings fizzled, leading to Sunrisers Hyderabad securing a well-deserved victory.
Key to SRH’s defensive strategy were their spinners, with Shahbaz and Abhishek claiming five wickets collectively, yielding just 47 runs in their eight-over spell. Their effective bowling performances ensured SRH’s advancement to the finals, paving the way for a highly anticipated clash against KKR. The title-deciding showdown is set to light up the final stage of IPL 2024 on Sunday in Chennai.