By Abhishek Sharma and Shahbaz Ahmed led Sunrisers Hyderabad to a 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in Chennai, setting up a final clash with Kolkata Knight Riders. Sunrisers defended their total of 175 for 9, ending Royals’ IPL 2024 campaign.
The difference in the match was evident in the middle overs. Both teams struggled to maintain momentum, affecting their ability to accelerate in the death overs. However, Royals suffered more, especially against the spinners. While SRH’s batters were challenged by RR pacers, who varied their pace and length effectively, RR batters found it difficult to handle the turn and grip of SRH spinners. This led to Royals losing five wickets in the middle overs and scoring at a rate lower than run-a-ball, hampering their run chase significantly.
In the powerplay, Trent Boult’s spell was crucial for SRH as he dismissed Abhishek Sharma and had Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram caught, with Yuzvendra Chahal taking a brilliant catch at short third man. Despite Tripathi’s aggressive innings of 37 off 15 balls, SRH lost three wickets in the powerplay.
During the middle overs, SRH’s Travis Head struggled to accelerate as Sandeep Sharma and Avesh Khan bowled tight lengths, especially with their slower variations. Head eventually fell, along with Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad, as SRH managed only 64 runs for 3 wickets in this phase.
SRH’s Left-arm Spinners Propel Team to Final Against KKR
In the death overs, SRH couldn’t accelerate much, apart from a few boundaries and smart running between the wickets. Heinrich Klaasen anchored the innings but was dismissed by Sandeep Sharma, leaving SRH with a below-par total of 175 for 9.
In response, Royals’ powerplay was slow, with Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar keeping the openers in check. Yashasvi Jaiswal broke free in the last over of the powerplay, scoring three boundaries and a six.
However, the middle overs saw a collapse for Royals as Abhishek and Shahbaz spun a web around the batters, taking five wickets for less than run-a-ball. Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin, and Shimron Hetmyer fell to the spin duo, leaving Royals struggling at 51 for 5.
In the death overs, despite Dhruv Jurel’s fighting fifty, Royals fell short, managing only 139 for 7 in their 20 overs. SRH’s bowlers, backed by a strong performance in the field, ensured their team’s victory and a place in the final against KKR.
Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 175/9 in 20 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 50, Rahul Tripathi 37; Avesh Khan 3-27, Trent Boult 3-45) beat Rajasthan Royals 139/7 in 20 overs (Dhruv Jurel 56*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 42; Shahbaz Ahmed 3-23, Abhishek Sharma 2-24) by 36 runs.
