Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will clash with Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Qualifier 2 match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have already secured their spot in the final of the 17th IPL season. The winner of today’s match will face KKR at the same venue on Sunday.
SRH has been in exceptional form this season, breaking the record for the highest team total in the IPL three times, surpassing Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) previous record of 263/5 from the 2013 season. With strong performances from top-order batsmen like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Rahul Tripathi, SRH has adopted an aggressive approach. They are the only team to score over 100 runs in the powerplay this season.
Rajasthan Royals began the season strongly, maintaining two four-match winning streaks. However, their consistency faltered in the second half of the tournament. RR’s first win in May came during the Eliminator round, where they defeated RCB to secure their spot in Qualifier 2.
While RR may not have a batting lineup as powerful as SRH’s, they boast a formidable bowling attack, featuring Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal, Nandre Burger, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
The Qualifier 2 match promises to be an exciting contest between SRH’s destructive batting lineup and RR’s strong bowling attack, with a place in the IPL 2024 final at stake.
SRH finished the league stage in second place with 17 points and a net run rate of +0.414, winning 8 out of 14 matches. RR also concluded their league stage with 17 points but with a net run rate of +0.273, after winning 8 out of 14 matches.
RR enters today’s match following a four-wicket victory over RCB in the Eliminator. In contrast, SRH suffered an 8-wicket loss against KKR in Qualifier 1.
With both teams aiming for a spot in the final, the Qualifier 2 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is set to be a thrilling encounter.
