SRH vs RR Highlights, IPL 2024: 3 moments that generated buzz among fans in Qualifier 2 ft. Shahbaz Ahmed
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 36 runs in the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, May 24. With the win, SRH have now advanced to the final.
RR won the toss and elected to field first in the knockout clash. They were off to an impressive start, as Trent Boult got rid of Abhishek Sharma in the very first over.
Rahul Tripathi, who walked out at No. 3, played a blistering knock under pressure, scoring 37 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 246.67. Heinrich Klaasen was the top performer for Hyderabad, contributing 50 runs off 34 balls.
SRH posted 175/9 in 20 overs. Trent Boult and Avesh Khan picked up three wickets each, while Sandeep Sharma bagged two scalps. RR's batting let them down in the contest as they finished at 137/9 in 50 overs.
Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 56 runs (35 balls). Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also chipped in with a quick-fire 42-run knock (21 balls) at the top of the order.
SRH's spinners dominated the battle between bat and ball in the run chase. Shahbaz Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, ending with stunning figures of 4-0-23-3.
Here, we take a look at three moments from the SRH vs RR, Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024 that generated buzz among the fans.
#1 Shahbaz Ahmed's all-round heroics
Hyderabad found themselves in a precarious position, losing wickets at regular intervals. Shahbaz Ahmed was introduced as an impact substitute when the side were reeling at 120/6 in 14 overs.
The southpaw did a decent job, scoring 18 runs off as many deliveries. He formed a crucial 43-run stand for the seventh wicket with Heinrich Klaasen, which helped SRH get to a fighting total.
He stole the show with his left-arm spin later in the game, claiming the important wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Shahbaz was adjudged the Player of the Match for his wonderful performance.
#2 Sandeep Sharma bamboozling Heinrich Klaasen with a dazzling yorker
Heinrich Klaasen notched up a fine half-century in Qualifier 2. The swashbuckling batter's presence at the crease was vital for SRH in the final overs for the team to finish with a flurry.
However, Sandeep Sharma tilted the game in RR's favor by dismissing the well-set batter on the first ball of the 19th over. He bowled a brilliant yorker to provide his team a massive breakthrough.
Klaasen was undone by the lack of pace and was comprehensively beaten. The ball crashed onto the stumps as the South African star had to walk back to the pavilion.
#3 Avesh Khan's twin strikes in the 14th over of SRH innings
Avesh Khan did a commendable job with the ball for Rajasthan. The right-arm pacer made a significant impact in the 14h over of Hyderabad's innings, claiming back-to-back wickets off successive balls.
On the penultimate ball of the over, Nitish Reddy tried to play the reverse sweep. While he managed to get a decent connection, he erred in terms of placement and ended up hitting it straight to Yuzvendra Chahal at short third man.
He followed it by getting Abdul Samad out for a golden duck on the last ball with a peach of a delivery. The batter was bowled as his feet didn't move and the ball sneaked through the gap between the bat and pad.