(Credit AFP Photo)
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) clinched a spot in the IPL 2024 final by overcoming Rajasthan Royals (RR) with a 36-run victory in the Qualifier 2 match held at Chepauk on Friday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) earned a spot in the IPL 2024 final by defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 36 runs in Qualifier 2 at Chepauk on Friday, May 24. Led by Pat Cummins, SRH delivered a well-rounded performance to set up a final clash with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 26.
After being asked to bat first, SRH had a shaky start, losing Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram early. However, a quickfire 37 off 15 balls from Rahul Tripathi, along with vital contributions from Heinrich Klaasen (50) and Travis Head (34), helped them post a total of 175/9 in their 20 overs.
The target seemed within reach for RR, but SRH’s bowlers stepped up. Captain Cummins skillfully utilized his spinners on the slow Chepauk pitch. He credited head coach Daniel Vettori for the strategic decision to bring in Shahbaz Ahmed as the impact player, a move that proved pivotal as Ahmed ended with impressive figures of 3/23.
“That was Vettori’s choice, left-arm orthodox, and wanted as many left-arm orthodox as possible,” Cummins said during the post-match presentation.
We know our strength was batting and wouldn’t underestimate the experience we have: Pat Cummins
Cummins also commended the efforts of 23-year-old all-rounder Abhishek Sharma, who, despite struggling with the bat, contributed significantly by taking two wickets.
“That was a surprise, tried to stick one out of him (Abhishek) with a couple of right-handers and he bowled beautifully and those two won it with their bowling in the middle overs. We knew our strength was our batting and we wouldn’t underestimate the experience we have in this squad. It’s a dream having Bhuvi, Nattu, and Unadkat, which makes my job easy,” Cummins added.
The spin duo dismantled RR’s batting lineup, claiming five crucial wickets between them. Although Dhruv Jurel scored a commendable 56, the Royals were unable to close the gap. The SRH captain expressed his satisfaction with the team’s comprehensive performance, which successfully secured their place in the final.
“The boys have been fantastic all season. There’s a great vibe in the squad, as you can see, and the final was the goal at the start of the season and we made it. 170 was a tough chase, and had we got a couple of wickets, we knew we had a chance,” he concluded.
