SRH vs RR Qualifier 2 IPL 2024 Match Report: Sunrisers Hyderabad seal final berth with dominant performance over Rajasthan Royals

Hyderabad triumphs, Rajasthan falters (PTI)

Sunrisers Hyderabad have secured a dominant victory over the Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs, booking their place in the 2024 Indian T20 League final. Finishing in the top two of the group stage proved a shrewd tactic for Hyderabad, granting them this crucial second chance.

Rajasthan, having faltered at the business end of the group stage, repeated those mistakes in this encounter. This gifted Hyderabad a chance to bounce back from their Qualifier 1 defeat with a convincing performance.

The Hyderabad pace attack began tidily, restricting and eventually dismissing Tom Kohler-Cadmore at one end. However, their decision to introduce Bhuvneshwar Kumar for an additional Powerplay over backfired, putting them under some pressure.

Despite lacking established spin options, Pat Cummins entrusted the Impact Substitute, Shahbaz Ahmed, to take the lead in the middle overs. This gamble paid dividends, with Ahmed delivering a significant performance. Alongside Abhishek Sharma, the pair ripped through the Rajasthan batting line-up. Ahmed claimed three wickets, while Sharma took two, effectively controlling the game – a task Cummins managed well from the captain's role.

Rajasthan will be heartbroken by this loss, feeling they squandered an opportunity after a strong showing throughout much of the league stage. While Sanju Samson provided admirable leadership, it wasn't enough. Yashasvi Jaiswal started brightly with the bat, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore struggled with timing and the heat, leading to his early dismissal.

After Jaiswal was dismissed having settled in, key players like Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag – usually the backbone of the batting – gifted their wickets away. This piled on the pressure, and despite a valiant lone effort from Dhruv Jurel, it was never quite enough for Rajasthan.

Earlier, sent in to bat, SRH posted a total of 175 for nine wickets, with Heinrich Klaasen anchoring the innings with a 34-ball 50. Contributions from Travis Head (34) and Rahul Tripathi (37) also proved crucial.

In reply, RR could only manage 139 for 7 wickets in their 20 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal (42) and Dhruv Jurel (56 not out) were the bright sparks for Rajasthan, contributing the bulk of their side's runs.

Earlier, having elected to bowl, Rajasthan enjoyed some early success. The pace duo of Trent Boult (3/45) and Avesh Khan (3/27) claimed three wickets each, while Sandeep Sharma (2/25) chipped in with two scalps.

However, in the chase, it was Shahbaz Ahmed (3/23) and Abhishek Sharma (2/24) who shared the bowling honours for SRH, taking five wickets between them. Pat Cummins (1/30) and T Natarajan (1/13) also contributed with a wicket apiece.