(Credit BCCI)
The IPL camera documented the divergent reactions of SRH and RR following Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 24, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. With a 36-run victory, SRH secured a spot in the final, defeating RR.
In the IPL 2024 Qualifier 2 match on Friday, May 24, SRH triumphed over RR by 36 runs, securing their spot in the tournament final. Post-game, the cameras captured the genuine sentiments of both teams, with the IPL crafting a special video from the footage.
The video depicted a disheartened RR, including batsman Riyan Parag, juxtaposed with the exuberant celebrations of the victorious SRH squad. Within the 41-second clip, contrasting emotions were evident as captains Pat Cummins and Sanju Samson displayed starkly different reactions—Cummins joyously embracing his teammates while a downcast Samson made his way back to the dressing room.
In the SRH vs. RR match, SRH, batting first, saw Abhishek Sharma fall early to Trent Boult in the opening over after scoring 12 off 5 balls. Despite this setback, Rahul Tripathi aggressively contributed 37 runs off just 15 deliveries. Travis Head, scoring 34 off 28 balls, couldn’t capitalize on his start, leaving SRH at 99/4 by the tenth over.
As the innings progressed, Pat Cummins’ team faced a challenging position at 120/6 after 14 overs, with RR’s bowlers dominating. Heinrich Klaasen’s crucial half-century of 50 off 34 balls steered SRH to a total of 175/9 at the end of their 20 overs. Avesh Khan (3/27) and Trent Boult (3/45) shone with three wickets each, while Sandeep Sharma (2/25) contributed with two wickets for RR.
Shahbaz Ahmed entangles RR with his spinning prowess.
Despite a strong start by RR’s opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 42 off 21 balls, his dismissal by Shahbaz Ahmed in the eighth over triggered a collapse. RR lost four wickets in a short span of 14 runs. Dhruv Jurel entered at number five, attempting to anchor the innings with an unbeaten 56 off 35 deliveries.
Unfortunately, Jurel lacked support from the other end, leading to RR finishing at 139/7 in their 20 overs, resulting in a 36-run defeat. Shahbaz Ahmed was named Player of the Match for his 3/23 in four overs, while Abhishek Sharma contributed with two wickets for 24 runs in his four-over spell. Consequently, SRH advanced to the final, where they will face KKR on Sunday, May 26, at the same venue.