KATHMANDU: Rajasthan Royals (RR) is set to lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the semi-final match (qualifier 2) of TATA IPL 2024 on Friday.
Venue: Chennai
Time: 1930 IST (1400 GMT), Friday
Big Picture: SRH’s Batters vs RR’s Bowlers
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batters have been rewriting IPL history this season.
They have surpassed the previous highest team total in IPL, 263 for 5 by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013, three times this season.
This explosive performance has been spearheaded by the devastating pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who have the highest partnership run rate in IPL history at 13.65.
SRH is also the only team to have scored 100 or more runs in the powerplay twice this season.
Adding to their firepower is Heinrich Klaasen, arguably the best T20 batter over the past year.
Rajasthan Royals (RR), on the other hand, boast one of the strongest bowling units in the tournament.
They have a versatile attack with a left-arm swinger at the start, two world-class spinners in the middle, and two clever seamers at the death.
The clash between SRH’s aggressive batting and RR’s disciplined bowling will likely determine the outcome of this crucial match.
Form Guide
- Rajasthan Royals: WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: LWWLW
Previous Meeting
Their last encounter was a nail-biting thriller.
Chasing 202, RR fell just short, needing two runs off the final ball, but Rovman Powell was trapped lbw by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Earlier, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s unbeaten 76 and contributions from Head and Klaasen had set a competitive total for SRH.
Team News and Impact Player Strategy
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
The slow Chepauk pitch might tempt RR to include Keshav Maharaj as a third spinner.
If bowling first, this could necessitate a reshuffling of their overseas players, potentially limiting them to two seam-bowling options.
Probable XII:
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Tom Kohler-Cadmore
Sanju Samson (capt & wk)
Riyan Parag
Dhruv Jurel
Shimron Hetmyer
Rovman Powell/Keshav Maharaj
R Ashwin
Trent Boult
Avesh Khan
Sandeep Sharma
Yuzvendra Chahal
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
SRH might bolster their batting by including Aiden Markram or Glenn Phillips, both of whom offer part-time spin.
If batting first, they might start with three overseas players and bring in Phillips or Viyaskanth as the game progresses.
Probable XII:
Travis Head
Abhishek Sharma
Rahul Tripathi
Aiden Markram/Glenn Phillips/Vijayakanth Viyaskanth
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Heinrich Klaasen (wk)
Abdul Samad
Shahbaz Ahmed
Pat Cummins (capt)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Mayank Markande
T Natarajan
In the Spotlight
- R Ashwin: After a slow start to IPL 2024 due to an abdomen tear, Ashwin has regained form, taking seven wickets in his last four games at an economy of 6.81. Playing at his home ground, he will be crucial for RR.
- Travis Head: SRH’s MVP, Head has struggled recently with two ducks but has historically dominated Trent Boult, scoring 52 runs off 30 balls without being dismissed.
Key Stats
- Powerplay Performances: SRH have the highest powerplay run rate (11.48), while RR have the lowest powerplay economy rate (8.03).
- Key Match-Ups:
- Ashwin vs Head: Ashwin has kept Head quiet (10 runs in 17 balls), but Abhishek Sharma has attacked Ashwin successfully (28 runs in 18 balls for one dismissal).
- Klaasen vs Chahal: Klaasen has scored 108 runs off 46 balls against Chahal, being dismissed three times.
- Jaiswal vs Bhuvneshwar: Jaiswal has scored 54 runs off 33 balls against Bhuvneshwar without being dismissed.
- Hetmyer vs Bhuvneshwar: Hetmyer has scored only eight runs off 16 balls against Bhuvneshwar but has never been dismissed.
Pitch and Conditions
Expect hot and humid conditions with dew in the second innings, making bowling first a preferred option. Chasing teams have won five out of seven games at Chepauk this season.
This semi-final promises a thrilling contest between SRH’s powerful batting and RR’s formidable bowling. The winner will advance to the final, setting the stage for an exciting climax to IPL 2024.
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