SRH’s Long-Awaited Triumph
The long wait to reach the IPL final ended for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as they outsmarted Rajasthan Royals (RR) with a 36-run win in Qualifier 2 in Chennai. Defending 175 runs was challenging, but the pitch’s grip and turn in the second innings played into SRH’s hands. Captain Pat Cummins’ strategy to deploy spin effectively paid off, trapping the opposition in a spin-web.
Spinners Turn the Game
Despite Shahbaz Ahmed being the only specialist spinner, Cummins bowled Abhishek Sharma from the other end. Together, they claimed five wickets in eight overs, conceding just 47 runs. This was a decisive phase where momentum shifted in SRH’s favor, and from this point on, they maintained pressure and never looked back.
Early Breakthroughs
Shahbaz Ahmed struck first, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal. Abhishek Sharma followed by removing Sanju Samson, causing RR to collapse from 65/1 to 67/3. Shahbaz delivered the knockout blow in his third over, taking out Riyan Parag and R Ashwin, reducing RR to 79/5. This left RR with a steep chase and limited batting depth.
Strategic Bowling Changes
Pat Cummins’ bowling changes were spot on, utilizing the turning pitch to control the middle overs. The asking rate soared above 12, and RR’s cautious start appeared to backfire. The early watchful approach meant they couldn’t capitalize when conditions were more favorable for batting.
Cautious Powerplay
Unlike SRH, Samson and his team began cautiously, avoiding risks in the first six overs. After five overs, they were 32/1, with Tom Kohler-Cadmore struggling for timing. Jaiswal provided a brief push in the last powerplay over, hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for three boundaries and a six, taking RR to 50/1. However, contrasting powerplays favored SRH as batting conditions worsened.
Left-Arm Threat
Travis Head’s struggles continued, but this time, RR’s left-arm quicks caused early damage. Despite two left-handers, Head and Abhishek Sharma, in the middle, RR stuck with Trent Boult, who removed Abhishek in the first over. Boult also dismissed Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram, bringing his IPL 2024 powerplay wicket tally to 12. Although SRH had 68 on the board, RR’s three wickets, including a dangerous-looking Tripathi, kept them in check.
Mid-Innings Squeeze
Heinrich Klaasen’s two sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal were pivotal. The first came in the seventh over, and the second in the 13th over. Between these hits, SRH failed to find the boundary as RR choked the runs, with R Ashwin, Sandeep Sharma, and Chahal tightening the noose. Sandeep’s slower short ball led to Head’s dismissal, and Avesh Khan capitalized, taking consecutive wickets of Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad in the 14th over, putting SRH on the back foot.
Late Innings Struggle
Despite Klaasen’s 34-ball 50, SRH needed a strong finish to bolster their total. However, Sandeep Sharma’s effective slower balls in the 19th over and Avesh Khan’s tight final over limited SRH to 175/8. Avesh’s second consecutive three-wicket haul was more disciplined, using the bigger boundary to his advantage with an outside off strategy.
Final Scores
SRH 175/9 (Klaasen 50; Avesh 3/27, Boult 3/45) beat RR 139/7 (Jurel 56*; Shahbaz 3/23, Abhishek 2/24).(Dubai7 realmoneygame)