3 things RR need to do right to beat SRH in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024
Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, May 24. This will be a do-or-die clash for both RR and SRH. The winner of the contest will progress to the final of IPL 2024, while the loser will be knocked out.
Rajasthan have had a mixed run to the playoffs. They were absolutely sensational in the first half of the league stage, winning eight of their first nine matches. It was almost a given that they would claim one of the top two slots and feature in Qualifier 1.
Things, though, went horribly wrong for RR towards the end of the league stage. They lost four straight matches before their last game against Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled. Rajasthan, though, lifted themselves and beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in the Eliminator to stay in the competition.
As Rajasthan Royals gear up for the big battle against Sunrisers Hyderabad, we analyze three things they need to do right to win Qualifier 2 and book a place in the IPL 2024 final.
#1 RR bowlers must knock over SRH openers early
It's no secret that Sunrisers Hyderabad rise and fall based on how their dangerous openers perform.
In matches where Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have been dismissed early, SRH have struggled in batting quite badly. The story was the same in Qualifier 1 as well against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Batting first against KKR at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Head was dismissed for a duck and Abhishek Sharma for 3. Rahul Tripathi scored a valiant 55 off 35, but SRH could never really recover from the double blow they suffered from losing their openers cheaply.
Head has had a fantastic IPL 2024. However, he will be under pressure following consecutive ducks in his last two outings. His mode of dismissals has also been strikingly similar, getting knocked over by left-arm pacers. For sure, RR will look to Trent Boult to exploit the chink in Head's game.
At the same time, Rajasthan's bowlers must also ensure that they do not allow Abhishek to get off to a flyer. If RR can dismiss both Head and Abhishek without too many on the board, that would be half the battle won. In contrast, if the SRH duo gets off to a flyer, Rajasthan would be at a huge disadvantage.
#2 Rajasthan's spinners must keep the pressure on Hyderabad's batters
Apart from keeping Sunrisers Hyderabad's openers in check, Rajasthan Royals' bowlers, the spinners in particular, must ensure that the pressure is not eased on the other batters in the middle overs. That's something Ravichandran Ashwin did very well in the Eliminator against RCB.
After Boult got the early breakthrough against Bengaluru, Ashwin not only picked up two wickets off consecutive deliveries but also kept the runs down, conceding only 19 runs in his four overs. Having found his rhythm, the seasoned off-spinner would be expected to come with another stellar show for RR against SRH.
Ashwin, though, would need better support from leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The latter picked up the huge wicket of Virat Kohli in the Eliminator but conceded 43 runs in four overs. SRH have some dangerous hitters like Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Reddy in the middle order, so Rajasthan Royals cannot allow them to get away.
#3 The Royals cannot falter with the bat at any cost
Batting is one department where Rajasthan Royals have struggled lately. In the league matches against Chennai Super King and Punjab Kings, they were held to 141-5 and 144-9 respectively.
Even in the Eliminator against RCB, they were not convincing in their chase but got home because their bowlers had restricted Bengaluru to a gettable score. In Jos Buttler's absence, the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, skipper Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag will have to lift their game even further.
If RR have a poor day with the bat in Qualifier 2 against SRH, it's highly likely that they would end up on the losing side. Sunrisers Hyderabad have a strong bowling line-up, and if Pat Cummins and Co. make early inroads, the Royals could find themselves in big trouble.