IPL 2024: Shahbaz, Abhishek star as SRH set up title clash with KKR after beating RR by 36 runs

Chennai, May 24 Left-arm spin all-round duo of Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma took five wickets between themselves as Sunrisers Hyderabad set up the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title clash with Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday after beating Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs in the Qualifier 2 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday.

Shahbaz (3-23) and Abhishek (2-24) collectively bowled nine overs, conceding only 57 runs on a pitch that became dry, and with dew not there, the duo made merry to take five wickets collectively and triggered an RR batting meltdown.

Only Dhruv Jurel fought with an unbeaten 56 off 35 balls, but it wasn’t enough as RR ended at 139/7, ending their hopes of having a shot at winning the title. The result also means SRH entered an IPL final for the third time and their meeting with KKR on Sunday is their clash of this season against the two-time champions.

Chasing 176, Yashasvi Jaiswal was up and running with two boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But Tom Kohler-Cadmore struggled from the other end, moving down the pitch and around the crease to break free. It was in vain though as SRH kept him quiet with tight lines and bounce, thus increasing the pressure on the England batter.

Kohler-Cadmore’s struggle came to an end for a 16-ball 10 when he skied to cover point off Pat Cummins. Jaiswal pushed the scoring rate when he dispatched a short-ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar over long-on for a six, followed by driving down the ground and through extra cover to pick two fours in a 19-run over as RR reached 51/1 at the end of power-play.

Jaiswal’s knock ended on 42 in the eighth over when he horribly miscued a loft off Shahbaz and holed out to long-off. With a longer boundary to use against right-handed batters via pace-off deliveries, SRH clawed back in the game via the left-arm spin duo of Shahbaz and Abhishek.

Abhishek had Sanju Samson pulling straight to long-on, followed by Riyan Parag top-edging to deep mid-wicket and Ravichandran Ashwin nicking behind off Shahbaz. Abhishek came back to rattle Shimron Hetmyer’s stumps with a flat and quick delivery, while Rovman Powell pulled straight to mid-wicket off T Natarajan.

Jurel kept RR in the hunt with his reverse-sweep and inside-out drive fetching boundaries off Shahbaz, followed by driving twice off Abhishek for a brace of fours. He took a six off Cummins, before pulling him twice for fours to get a fighting fifty. But his late efforts went in vain as SRH stormed into their third IPL final in emphatic fashion.

Previously, Rahul Tripathi’s 37 and Heinrich Klaasen’s fighting fifty took SRH to a decent 175/9 after being inserted into batting first by RR, who had good bowling performances from Avesh Khan (3-27) and Trent Boult (3-45). RR’s seamers excelled by bowling cutters into the pitch, conceding only 25 runs in the last three overs, even as their spinners went wicketless in their combined eight overs.

Abhishek got going by pulling and driving Boult for exquisite boundaries before the pacer had the last laugh as the batter miscued a short ball to backward point. Tripathi was quick off the blocks by hitting seven boundaries, four of which came against Ravichandran Ashwin.

But Tripathi fell for 15-ball 37 when his attempt to ramp a rising slower short ball from Boult was caught by short third man. In the same over, Boult struck again as Aiden Markram threw his hands at a wide ball and the edge flew to the short third man’s hands.

Travis Head overcame a slow start by hitting four boundaries collectively off Avesh and Sandeep Sharma but was caught at short third man in an attempt to ramp a slower bouncer off the latter. Klassen tried to keep SRH innings afloat with his gigantic sixes off Chahal but didn’t get support from the other end.

Nitish Kumar Reddy reverse-swept to short third man off Avesh, who also rattled Abdul Samad’s off-stump. Klaasen continued his rearguard act by smacking Boult for a six down the ground, before reaching his fifty in 33 balls.

But Klaasen missed the very next ball he faced, as a yorker from Sandeep uprooted his leg-stump. Avesh’s impressive time in the match concluded with him having Shahbaz Ahmed heaving to long-on and inflicting a run-out of Jaydev Unadkat on the last ball of the innings.

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 not out, Yashasvi Jaiswal 42; Shahbaz Ahmed 3-23, Abhishek Sharma 2-24) by 36 runs

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