Rajasthan Royals (RR) face off against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, May 24.
Sunrisers squandered their first opportunity to reach the finals as they comprehensively lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the Qualifier 1. The former two-time champions chased down a 160-run target with eight wickets and 38 balls to spare. Pat Cummins and Co. will get a second bite at the cherry on Friday and would want to make it count.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals finally won their first match this month, as they defeated an in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru side in the Eliminator. Sanju Samson’s men chased down a 173-run target with four wickets and an over to spare.
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RR vs SRH: Match Preview
These two sides met each other on one occasion during the league stage. The Sunrisers pulled off a thrilling one-run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, defending a target of 202. Rajasthan would love to exact revenge at this all-important juncture of the league.
Early in the first week of April, Daniel Vettori discussed the expectations for his bowlers’ performance. “If you give me eight-an-over, I’ll take it gladly,” he remarked before facing CSK at home, as the nature of batting in the tournament had already begun to evolve. This statement came a week after his batters scored 277 in Hyderabad and maintained their aggressive approach in subsequent games. As the tournament progressed and SRH set batting records, a clear narrative emerged: this is how a Pat Cummins team will play in the IPL.
The SRH batters have rewritten the record books in IPL 2024. Before this season, the highest team total in the IPL was 263 for 5 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2013. SRH have surpassed that mark three times this season.
These massive totals were powered by Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, the most destructive pair in IPL history with a partnership run rate of 13.65 (minimum 10 stands). Their aggressive approach also led SRH to be the only team to score 100 or more in the powerplay this season, a feat they have achieved twice. This is even before considering Heinrich Klaasen, arguably the best T20 batter in the past 12 months.
There were benefits to this strategy, as seen over the last two months. In their victories, SRH had the best strike rate at 189.51. However, most of their defeats were just as severe. SRH either soared or crashed and burned—there has been no middle ground or damage control, which should intrigue the Rajasthan Royals.
Sanju Samson’s side arrived in Chennai, defying the concept of ‘momentum’ and proving that knockouts always start fresh. They overcame a four-game losing streak in one evening against RCB, propelling them into the path of the tournament’s leaders. Cummins quickly brushed off the defeat to KKR in Q1, but it highlighted that SRH was just as capable of being humbled as they were of humbling others. RR, with their recent precision, will aim to exploit that.
RR’s batting lineup may not be as destructive, but they boast one of the best bowling units: a left-arm swinger at the top, two world-class spinners in the middle, and two wily seamers at the death. The contest between their bowlers and SRH’s batters could decide who advances to the final.
SRH, who finished second in the league stage, are coming off a loss against Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 1, while RR will be buoyed by their win against RCB in the Eliminator. However, neither team had a good time when they last played in Chennai. Chasing 213 against Chennai Super Kings, SRH folded for a mere 134. When RR played here two weeks ago, they managed only 141 for 5 batting first and lost by five wickets.
In Terms Of Recent Form:
Rajasthan Royals WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad LWWLW
RR vs SRH: Pitch Report & Conditions
The surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai has produced contrasting pitches this season. In some games, teams have encountered the traditionally slow and low Chepauk surfaces. However, there have also been high-scoring encounters. One notable match was between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants on April 23, where the hosts scored 210/4 in their 20 overs, but Lucknow chased it down with six wickets and three balls to spare. Sunrisers will be the happier team if the pitch turns out to be on the flatter side on Friday.
Even CSK have struggled with the unpredictable conditions in their home games. Friday’s fixture will be played on pitch #7—a fresh wicket. This introduces an element of unfamiliarity and features an extremely short square boundary on one side.
The weather is expected to be hot and humid, with dew likely in the second innings. Therefore, teams may prefer to bowl first if they win the toss. Recent history supports this strategy: chasing teams have won five of the seven games played here this season.
RR vs SRH: Head-to-head
- Matches Played: 19
- Sunrisers Hyderabad Wins: 10
- Rajasthan Royals Wins: 9
- No Result: 0
- First Played: 27 April, 2013
- Last Played: 2 May, 2024
In their previous meeting earlier this month, it was a last-ball thriller. Chasing 202, RR needed two runs from the final ball, but Rovman Powell failed to put away a full toss from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and was dismissed lbw. Earlier, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s unbeaten 76 off 42 balls, supported by Travis Head’s fifty and Heinrich Klaasen’s 42 not out, had set a competitive total for SRH. In response, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag scored half-centuries, but RR fell just short.
RR vs SRH: Team News and Impact Player Strategy
Rajasthan Royals
“I’m not 100% [fit] actually. There is a bug in the dressing room, lots of coughs and a lot of people are a bit unwell,” Sanju Samson revealed after RR’s win over RCB in the Eliminator. However, there are no reported absentees for the big game on Friday.
The slow nature of the Chepauk pitch may make Keshav Maharaj a tempting third-spinner option for RR. But if they are bowling first, Maharaj’s inclusion could necessitate rejigging their overseas combination, raising the question of whether they’d risk going in with just two seam-bowling options in a must-win match.
If they are batting first, they can start with three overseas players and bring in either Powell or Maharaj as the Impact Player depending on their progress.
RR still have two other PowerPlay bowlers capable of troubling the SRH opener. Sandeep Sharma has conceded 15 off 15, dismissing him once, and Avesh Khan, who cleaned him up earlier this season, has given 15 off 8 deliveries. Boult, meanwhile, has had Abhishek Sharma’s number in the IPL, conceding just 13 runs in 21 balls and getting him out once. Rahul Tripathi, who successfully got SRH moving in the previous fixture, has struggled against Boult and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Predicted 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 have a clean bill of health. To strengthen their batting, they can bring in either Aiden Markram or Glenn Phillips for Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, as both can contribute with offspin. Mayank Markande could replace Sanvir Singh as their legspinner in that case.
If they are batting first, they too can start with only three overseas players: Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and captain Pat Cummins. Depending on the situation, they can bring in Phillips or Viyaskanth as the Impact Player.
A left-armer bowling at the stumps to Travis Head has worked twice in two games. That, combined with Trent Boult’s propensity to strike in the first over, should give RR an advantage. However, Head has a good record against Boult in the format, scoring 52 runs in 30 balls without being dismissed. He has been dismissed thrice by left-armers but has also scored at a rate of 206.25 against them.
Predicted 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
RR vs SRH: Players Under The Spotlight
RR- Ravichandran Ashwin
R Ashwin did not have a great start to IPL 2024. In the first nine games, he picked up just two wickets at an economy rate of 9.00. During this time, he was also struggling with an abdomen tear, which hampered his ability to complete his action. Recently, however, he appears to have found his rhythm. In the last four games, he has taken seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.81. Playing at his home ground, with the pitch likely to aid spinners, he will be keen to continue this form, which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award in the eliminator.
SRH- Travis Head
Travis Head has been the MVP for SRH, often dominating the game in the powerplay itself. However, in the last two games, he has been dismissed for ducks on both occasions by a left-arm seamer. RR also have a left-arm seamer in Trent Boult, but Boult has never dismissed Head in T20 cricket. Additionally, Head has scored 52 runs off 30 balls against Boult. Despite his recent dismissals, it’s unlikely that Head will be cautious against Boult.
RR vs SRH: Match Prediction
Scenario 1
- Toss: Sunrisers Hyderabad win and choose to bowl
- Power Play Score: 50-60
- First Innings Score: 170-180
- Prediction: Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match
Scenario 2
- Toss: Rajasthan Royals win and choose to bowl
- Power Play Score: 60-70
- First Innings Score: 190-200
- Prediction: Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match
RR vs SRH: Dream 11 Fantasy Prediction
Team 1:
- Keeper: Heinrich Klaasen, Sanju Samson (VC)
- Batsman: Rahul Tripathi, Travis Head (C), Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rovmea Powell
- All-rounders: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin
- Bowlers: Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Trent Boult
Team 2:
- Keeper: Heinrich Klaasen, Sanju Samson
- Batsman: Rahul Tripathi, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal
- All-rounders: Nitish Kumar Reddy (C), Riyan Parag (VC)
- Bowlers: Pat Cummins, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult
When and Where to Watch the Match: Streaming & Broadcast Details
What: Qualifier 2- Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), IPL 2024
When: 7:30 PM IST, Friday – May 24
Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Where to watch RR vs SRH Live Streaming: JioCinema app for FREE
Where to watch RR vs SRH Live Telecast: Star Sports
