IPL 2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals – Second Qualifier Preview
Chennai: In a highly anticipated second Qualifier match of the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) premier power-hitters, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, will face a stern challenge from the formidable spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday.
Affectionately dubbed ‘Travishek’ by fans, Head and Sharma have set new standards in power-hitting this season. Head has amassed 533 runs with a strike rate of 199.62, while Sharma has scored 470 runs at 207.04. Together, they have hit 72 sixes and 96 boundaries.
Adding to SRH’s batting firepower is Heinrich Klaasen, who has accumulated 413 runs with a strike rate of 180, including 34 sixes.
The Chepauk Challenge
The SRH batsmen, however, will face a different challenge at Chepauk. Unlike the flat tracks at Uppal, Kotla, or Wankhede, the pitch at Chepauk tends to be sticky, making it difficult for stroke-makers to hit through the line.
Ashwin, who is intimately familiar with the Chepauk surface, has shown impressive form in the latter part of the tournament. Alongside Chahal, India’s premier leg-spinner, RR will aim to neutralize the threat posed by Head, Sharma, and Klaasen early in the innings.
SRH’s Bowling Attack
On the bowling front, SRH will rely heavily on T Natarajan, their leading wicket-taker this season. Playing on his home ground, Natarajan will look to leverage the conditions. Additionally, the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pat Cummins will need to step up, particularly as Bhuvneshwar has been wicketless in his last two matches.
SRH’s Spin Deficiency
SRH’s primary challenge lies in their lack of quality spinners. Mayank Markande has been underwhelming, and Shahbaz Ahmed is more known for his batting than his slow left-arm orthodox bowling.
RR’s Recent Form and Key Players
RR recently ended a five-game winless streak with a comprehensive victory over RCB. In batting, the top order, especially Yashasvi Jaiswal, has shown positive signs. Jaiswal will look to maintain his form ahead of the T20 World Cup in the Americas next month. However, skipper Sanju Samson needs to improve, having failed to score more than 20 runs in his last three matches.
In the middle order, Dhruv Jurel will be under pressure to perform, having failed to reach double digits in his last two outings. RR will also depend on their Caribbean power-hitters, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell, to replicate their performance against RCB. Riyan Parag has been in impressive form this season and remains a reliable batter for the team.
Squads
SRH: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Upendra Yadav (wk), Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Agarwal.
RR: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.
