IPL 2024: In the Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League, spinners played a pivotal role as Sunrisers Hyderabad secured a convincing 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals at Chepauk on Friday.
Sunrisers captain Pat Cummins’ decision to rely on spinners against RR’s aggressive batting lineup paid off handsomely for his team.
This win propels Sunrisers Hyderabad into the final against Kolkata Knight Riders, marking their first final appearance since 2018, after being outplayed by the same team in Qualifier 1.
Despite missing key players, Rajasthan Royals showed determination in their chase of 176 runs.
However, they seemed rushed from the start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal demonstrating intent by hitting a six off the final ball of the first over.
Following a tight over from Cummins, boundaries became scarce, leading Tom Kohler-Cadmore to take a risky shot in the fourth over, resulting in his dismissal.
Jaiswal attempted to revive Rajasthan’s innings with some aggressive stroke play in the final over of the powerplay.
But Cummins’ introduction of spinners after the powerplay changed the game’s momentum entirely, with Shahbaz Ahmed striking early to remove Jaiswal.
Subsequent overs saw Abhishek Sharma and Shahbaz Ahmed further dent Rajasthan’s batting lineup, leaving them struggling at 70/3 by the ninth over.
Rajasthan’s downfall continued as spinners continued to wreak havoc, with Riyan Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin falling in quick succession.
Despite efforts from Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel to stabilize the innings, Sunrisers’ spinners maintained tight control, limiting Rajasthan’s scoring opportunities.
Ultimately, Rajasthan Royals fell short by 36 runs, unable to keep up with the escalating required run rate.
Earlier in the match, Rajasthan Royals won the toss and chose to bowl. Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a competitive total of 175/9, with Heinrich Klaasen top-scoring with a half-century, supported by contributions from Rahul Tripathi.
In response, Rajasthan Royals managed to reach 139/7 in their allotted 20 overs, with Dhruv Jurel’s unbeaten 56 being the standout performance amidst Sunrisers’ spin dominance.