In a thrilling encounter, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) clinched a decisive 36-run victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Qualifier 2 of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, booking their place in the final.
Batting first, SRH set a target of 175, which their bowlers defended with a memorable performance.
Picked-up ✅
…And DispatchedTravis Head Style
Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia #TATAIPL | #SRHvRR | #Qualifier2 | #TheFinalCall pic.twitter.com/jXf703wkoV
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 24, 2024
Opting to bat after being invited by RR, SRH displayed their aggressive strategy from the outset. Despite early setbacks in the powerplay, where Trent Boult struck swiftly, the team maintained its attacking approach.
Abhishek Sharma kicked off with a six and a four, but Boult responded by dismissing him with a sharp catch on the off-side. Rahul Tripathi then took charge, striking boundaries off both R Ashwin and Boult, but his combative 37 off 15 balls ended with a catch at short third-man, giving SRH a solid foundation at 57 for three after five overs.
2⃣ in 2⃣ for Avesh Khan!
Double blow for #SRH and they are now 120/6 after 14 overs!
Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia #TATAIPL | #SRHvRR | #Qualifier2 | #TheFinalCall pic.twitter.com/D1ijjNODsS
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 24, 2024
Following Boult’s early breakthroughs, SRH’s innings stabilized through Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. Head, initially cautious, found his rhythm with a boundary in the sixth over, while Klaasen launched Chahal for a six in the eighth.
Although SRH lost momentum with Head’s dismissal and subsequent quick wickets, Klaasen’s resilience guided them through. Reaching his fifty off 33 balls in the 18th over, Klaasen lifted SRH from 120 for six to a competitive 175 for nine, aided by a crucial 18 runs from Impact Player Shahbaz Ahmed. Boult (three wickets), Sandeep Sharma (two for 25), and Avesh Khan (three for 27) were the standout bowlers for RR.
RR’s chase began promisingly with Yashasvi Jaiswal in sublime form, hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first over. However, SRH struck back when Pat Cummins dismissed Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Jaiswal continued his aggressive play, accumulating boundaries off Bhuvneshwar, but his pivotal knock ended at 42 off 21 balls, caught in the deep off Shahbaz Ahmed in the eighth over.
The game tilted in SRH’s favor as their spinners tightened the noose. Abhishek Sharma and Shahbaz Ahmed dominated the middle overs, with Abhishek catching Sanju Samson at deep mid-wicket and Shahbaz claiming two wickets in the 12th over, reducing RR to 80 for five. Shimron Hetmyer, introduced as an Impact Player, and Rovman Powell struggled to break free against SRH’s disciplined bowling.
Amidst the collapse, Dhruv Jurel stood out with a fighting fifty off 26 balls in the penultimate over, but it was too late to change the game’s course. SRH’s spinners, Shahbaz and Abhishek, were instrumental, sharing five wickets and conceding just 47 runs in their eight overs, securing a comprehensive victory.
With this win, SRH advances to the final, setting up a rematch against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the TATA IPL 2024 title on Sunday in Chennai.
Read all the World News, Business News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Business News and Opinion here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
