Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals Qualifier-2 Results

Right then, after 73 riveting encounters, we are finally down to two teams! It will be Kolkata taking on Hyderabad for the coveted Indian T20 League trophy come Sunday. Both sides are seeking their third title with neither having won it since 2016. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will play host to the Final and it sure will be a grandeur event. The match will begin on Sunday, 26 May at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT) but you can catch our build-up a lot sooner. Till, then take care and goodbye!

Shahbaz Ahmed is the Player of the Match for his excellent spell with the ball. Shahbaz says that he knows his role and he was to come in if there was going to be a batting collapse. Adds that when he was batting, he felt that the wicket had some purchase with the way Avesh Khan and Sandeep Sharma were bowling. Adds that he is feeling very proud to be the Man of the Match on such a big occasion and is happy to have delivered.

Hyderabad skipper, Pat Cummins says that the final was the target and they have achieved it. Adds that they know their strength is batting but they don't underestimate the experience of T Natarajan, Jaydev Unadkat and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He says that selecting Shahbaz Ahmed as the Impact Player was Daniel Vettori's choice as he loves his left-arm spinners. Mentions that they needed early wickets which they got. Says he won't pretend to know how dew works in India. Ends by saying that there are 60-70 people involved with the franchise and hopefully they have one more win in their bag.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Sanju Samson won the toss and put Hyderabad into bat on a track that seemed to be suiting both the batters and the bowlers. It was a quickfire Powerplay for Hyderabad with the bat but they lost multiple wickets as well. Trent Boult was brilliant upfront and then the spinners do did a decent job. As for Hyderabad, it was Travis Head who looked good early on but it really was Rahul Tripathi who injected some necessary momentum and got quick runs away. The wicket just kept slowing down and the Rajasthan pacers started to use the slower ones to pick up wickets. Avesh Khan did a fine job in the latter stages but Heinrich Klaasen stayed on for a long time and got his side to a defendable total. In reply, there was no dew and Hyderabad's spinners were able to make full use of the dry conditions and just like that, Rajasthan were out of the game and out of the competition.

Abhishek Sharma, one of the stars of Hyderabad's season is down for a chat. Abhishek says that he didn't know he was ready to bowl but didn't know he was going to bowl in this game and credits his Dad for training him. Adds that the surface started quicker but then it helped the spinners and Cummins used the spinners well. Mentions that the hard work he put in the practice sessions is the reason why he was given the ball in this game. Adds that the confidence came from Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he won the trophy with his state side Punjab and the Hyderabad coaching staff gave the batters the freedom which helped him and ends by saying that he is looking forward to the Final which has been a dream of his.

Sanju Samson, the captain of Rajasthan says that he is proud of his bowlers but they came up short against the spin options in their batting which was the downfall for them. Adds that the wicket reacted differently in the second innings and Hyderabad exploited the conditions well. Tells that  they have had some great matches not just this season but in the previous ones as well and Indian talents like Parag and Jurel have come up through their ranks. Credits Sandeep Sharma and says that he is very happy for him after not being picked up in the auction and coming in as a replacement. Ends by saying that both the teams in the final can use these conditions well and it will be a great one to watch.

Rajasthan will be devastated with this loss and will feel they have let themselves given how they played a large chunk of the league phase. Sanju Samson led the side from the front but it just wasn't meant to be. Yashasvi Jaiswal started off well with the bat and got away to a brisk start but Tom Kohler-Cadmore struggled at the other end with heat and timing and was soon dismissed. Then came the middle overs and Jaiswal got out after getting set and the likes of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, generally the backbone of the batting, threw away their wickets. This created immense pressure and Dhruv Jurel played a wonderful bjut lone hand which was never going to be enough.

HYDERABAD HAVE STORMED INTO THE FINAL OF THE INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2024! The perks of finishing in the top two in the group stage and Hyderabad have made full use of this second chance. Rajasthan could have easily been in the top two but they let things slip late in the group stage and they have done so in this game as well as Hyderabad are able to shrug off the loss in Qualifier 1 to put on a fine comeback sort of a performance. It was a very tidy start by the Hyderabad pacers and they managed to bog down Tom Kohler-Cadmore at one end and even got him out but the decision to bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar for an extra over inside the Powerplay changed things and suddenly, they were under a bit of pump. However, even without world-class spinners in the side, Pat Cummins trusted the Impact Sub, Shahbaz Ahmed to lead in the middle overs, and boy, he delivered big time and along with Abhishek Sharma, the pair ripped through Rajasthan's batters. Ahmed got 3 wickets and Sharma too got 2 wickets and from there on it was about managing the game which Pat Cummins did quite well.

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.IT WILL BE KOLKATA VS HYDERABAD IN THE FINAL! T Natarajan bangs it short again, on middle, Dhruv Jurel mistimes his cut to backward point for one. HYDERABAD WIN BY 36 RUNS!

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Short and on middle, Dhruv Jurel looks to pull but gets a top edge that falls well in front of short fine leg.

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, No run.A low full toss, on middle, Dhruv Jurel drives it towards long on.

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Slower bouncer, on off, Dhruv Jurel tries to upper cut it but mistimes it on the bounce to short third man.

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, Four!FOUR! Gets it away! A full toss, on middle, Dhruv Jurel smacks it wide of long on fro a boundary.

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Pitched up, on middle, Dhruv Jurel drills it straigh to long on.

Pat Cummins to Trent Boult, No run.Hard length and on middle, Trent Boult swats it to mid-wicket. The celebrations begin in the Hyderabad camp.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Pat Cummins continues with his shorter length, on middle, Dhruv Jurel hooks it on the bounce to fine leg for just one. There are tears already in the eyes of Rajasthan fans.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Wide!A slower bouncer now, on off, Dhruv Jurel sways away from it. He thinks it is a wide and takes a review. The replay shows that it is above his head and the on-field call is changed,

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Short once again and on middle and leg, Dhruv Jurel pulls it towards deep square leg and refuse the run once again.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Back of a length and on middle, Dhruv Jurel heaves it to deep mid-wicket and denies the run.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Four!FOUR! FIFTY FOR JUREL! He has been the one shining light for Rajasthan! This is short again and on middle, Dhruv Jurel pulls it towards the deep square leg fence again for another boundary.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Four!FOUR! Nicely played! Pat Cummins bangs this into the pitch and around middle, Dhruv Jurel pulls it away wide of deep square leg for a boundary.

T Natarajan to Trent Boult, No run.A sensational over from T Natarajan! Another off-pace short delivery, on off, Trent Boult misses his pull. Would you believe it? Just one run and a wicket from the over.

T Natarajan to Trent Boult, No run.Full and on off, Trent Boult drives it straight to mid off.

Trent Boult is the new batter in.

T Natarajan to Rovman Powell, OUT! c Abhishek Sharma b T Natarajan.OUT! TAKEN! T Natarajan gets a wicket now! He goes short again and on middle, pace on this time, Rovman Powell connects with his pull but fails to get the timing right, the ball flies wide of deep mid-wicket where Abhishek Sharma dives to his left to take a fantastic catch. Hyderabad has one foot in the final already now!

T Natarajan to Rovman Powell, No run.A precious dot! Short of a length and on off, takes pace off, Rovman Powell tries to pull but he too goes through his shot very early and misses.

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Goes fuller and on middle, Dhruv Jurel drills it wide long on for a single.

Oh, dear! The slower bumper has missed the grill and has caught Dhruv Jurel right on the throat. That can be a really painful blow and Jurel is down on the ground, hopefully, he is fine. The physio comes out to have a look and thankfully, Jurel is back up and has his helmet back on as well. We are ready to go again.

T Natarajan to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Ouch! That has hurt him! T Natarajan bowls the slower bouncer, on middle, Dhruv Jurel goes through his pull very early and misses, the ball goes through and sneaks under his helmet to hit him right on the throat. He is looking a bit wavy at the moment.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Yet another short delivery, on off, slower once again, Dhruv Jurel swats it through mid-wicket for one more. Rajasthan need 53 runs in the last 3 overs!

Pat Cummins to Rovman Powell, 1 run.Short again, off-pace, on middle, Rovman Powell puls it through square leg for one.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Back of a length and on middle, Dhruv Jurel swipes it towards deep mid-wicket for one.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Goes short again and on middle, slower too, Dhruv Jurel tries to hook it away but misses.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Six!SIX! Excellent effort in the deep but goes in vain! Fuller and angling into the pads, Dhruv Jurel picks it up and whips it towards the deep square leg fence, Rahul Tripathi leaps up to grab it but his legs touch the ropes while he lands and flicks it back inside. The replay confirms that it is a maximum.

Pat Cummins to Rovman Powell, 1 run.Short of a length and on middle, Rovman Powell pulls it away towards deep square leg for a single.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, Four!FOUR! SMACKED! Flatter, full and on middle, Dhruv Jurel stays in his creae and drills it hard and back past the bowler for a crunching boundary. 11 runs off the over!

Abhishek Sharma to Rovman Powell, 1 run.Buzzers! Slows it up, full and on off, Rovman Powell steers it wide of point and sets off for the run but is sent back, Rahul Tripathi throws it well over the keeper with no back up and allows the run.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Quicker, full and on middle, Dhruv Jurel clips it through mid-wicket for a run.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, Four!FOUR! Great shot! Flighted, full and on off, Dhruv Jurel gets down and leans onto his drive to smashes it through extra covers for a boundary.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Tossed up, full and on middle, Dhruv Jurel pushes it to short covers.

Abhishek Sharma to Rovman Powell, 1 run.A loopy full toss, on off, Rovman Powell drills it towards sweeper covers for a single.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Dhruv Jurel, Four!FOUR! Dhruv Jurel is keeping hopes alive for Rajasthan here. Shahbaz Ahmed tries to fire it in at the stumps, Jurel anticipates well, backs away and creams it through covers for another boundary.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Dhruv Jurel, Four!FOUR! Nicely done by Dhruv Jurel. Pushed through fuller and on the stumps, Jurel is brave to bring out the reverse sweep and he gets it well over point for a boundary.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Rovman Powell, 1 run.Slightly short and wide, cut away off the back foot through point for a single.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Rovman Powell, No run.There's just no room to free the arms as Shahbaz Ahmed serves another flatter delivery on off and middle, Rovman Powell plays it out on the leg side.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Rovman Powell, No run.Quick and flat around off stump, Rovman Powell stays on the back foot and jams it down late to short third man.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Rovman Powell, No run.That in-between length sliding it onto middle and off, Rovman Powell backs away and plays nicely but straight to covers.

Strategic-Break! Rajasthan have made it really hard for themselves and only something extraordinary from here can take them over the line. Rovman Powell and Dhruv Jurel are the last recognized batters for them and they will need to stay there till the end to have any chance of winning this. Hyderabad's spinners have been excellent and having no dew on the ground has helped them a lot as well. They just need to break one more partnership and they will have one step in the final. Also, Shahbaz Ahmed to finish his spell after the break.

Abhishek Sharma to Rovman Powell, 1 run.Bowled quicker and flatter around off, Rovman Powell stays back and dabs it late past backward point for just a single.

Abhishek Sharma to Rovman Powell, No run.Nicely flighted delivery, on the fuller side around off and turning away sharply, Rovman Powell goes on the back foot and rightly leaves it alone.

Rovman Powell walks out to bat now.

Abhishek Sharma to Shimron Hetmyer, OUT! b Abhishek Sharma.OUT! TIMBER! Abhishek Sharma is a fine utility cricketer and is having a ball with the ball in hand at the moment. Stays over the stumps and almost bowls this one from the front of the hand, firing it flatter and around off stump. Shimron Hetmyer backs away to cut but the ball skids through quickly and shatters into the off stump. A frustrated Hetmyer has to walk back and Rajasthan are in deep trouble.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Fractionally short over middle, pulled away off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for one run.

Abhishek Sharma to Shimron Hetmyer, 1 run.Shimron Hetmyer seems visibly upset as Dhruv Jurel denies the second run. Floated full on middle and leg, clipped away into the gap at mid-wicket and Hetmyer calls for two right away. Jurel sends him back as he would have been running to the danger end.

Abhishek Sharma to Shimron Hetmyer, No run.Oh, Shimron Hetmyer has missed out here big time. A full toss, floated down the leg side, Hetmyer goes hard at the slog and misses it completely, getting hit on the legs.

Aiden Markram to Dhruv Jurel, Six!SIX! Dhruv Jurel breaks the shackles with a lovely hit. Tossed up on middle and leg, Jurel dances down the track and whips it away over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Aiden Markram to Shimron Hetmyer, 1 run.Full and quick around off, Shimron Hetmyer looks to play it straight but squeezes it off the inner half on the leg side for a run.

Aiden Markram to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.On a good length and on off stump, Dhruv Jurel works it away past square leg for one more.

Aiden Markram to Shimron Hetmyer, 1 run.Flatter ball around off stump, cut away from the crease towards deep point for a single.

Aiden Markram to Shimron Hetmyer, No run.And just like that, Aiden Markram follows it up with a peach of a delivery. Tossed up full and outside off stump, this one grips and rips away, Shimron Hetmyer looks to go through covers but misses and reviews it for a wide. The third umpire is called in but that wasn't even close to being a wide.

Aiden Markram to Shimron Hetmyer, No ball!NO BALL! Is that the worst ball we have ever seen? Surely, right? The ball just slips right out of Aiden Markram's hand and goes over head height but not towards the batter, rather towards short fine leg. Everyone looks bemused and a no ball is signalled. Free Hit coming up.

Aiden Markram to Shimron Hetmyer, No run.Starts from around the stumps and bowls it full around off stump, Shimron Hetmyer blocks it off.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Shimron Hetmyer, 1 run.Not quite the double-wicket maiden over but Shahbaz Ahmed will certainly take one run and a couple of wickets any day of the week if offered. This is bowled nice and full on the stumps, Shimron Hetmyer leans on and nudges it wide of mid-wicket for a single.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Shimron Hetmyer, No run.Tossed up full on off stump, Shimron Hetmyer leans right ahead to make the block.

Shimron Hetmyer walks out to bat with his side in a tough spot. He is also the Impact Player for Rajasthan replacing Yuzvendra Chahal.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Ravichandran Ashwin, OUT! c Heinrich Klaasen b Shahbaz Ahmed.OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Shahbaz Ahmed, the Impact Player doing a lot of damage for Hyderabad and another one bites the dust for Rajasthan. After a couple of flighted deliveries, Ahmed bowls this one quick and flat around off stump. Ravichandran Ashwin backs away to cut but the ball just turns away and takes the outside edge. Heinrich Klaasen picks up a sharp catch behind the stumps and Rajasthan have lost half their side already.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Ravichandran Ashwin, No run.Beaten again! Full again but not as full as the last one and turning away from off stump, Ravichandran Ashwin looks to play at it but is comprehensively beaten.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Ravichandran Ashwin, No run.Beauty! Flighted delivery, full and outside off stump, turning away as well, Ravichandran Ashwin leans on to drive but the ball zips past the outside edge. Heinrich Klaasen is quick to whip off the bails and the umpires do go upstairs to check for the stumping. Nothing on UltraEdge and replays show that Ashwin had his back leg well grounded inside the crease.

Ravichandran Ashwin is the next man in.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Riyan Parag, OUT! c Abhishek Sharma b Shahbaz Ahmed.OUT! CAUGHT! Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma combine now for another wicket and Riyan Parag will look back and feel, he played a very poor shot here. Ahmed bowls this one into the pitch, a bit short and angled into middle and leg. Parag tries to be aggressive and pull it off the back foot but ends up getting it off the higher part of the bat and over mid-wicket. Abhishek Sharma comes in from the deep and takes a safe catch as Rajasthan lose another big wicket.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Quicker and flatter outside off, hit away off the back foot but can't find the gap at point.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Full and around off stump, pushed out towards cover.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, 2 runs.Again, excellent fielding in the deep, Fractionally short and outside off, cut away firmly to the left of deep point where Shahbaz Ahmed dives and keeps it down to a couple of runs.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, 2 runs.Pushed through quicker but just down the leg side, Dhruv Jurel sweeps it away well behind square leg but the fielder in the deep races across to his right and and dives in to save two runs.

Abhishek Sharma to Riyan Parag, 1 run.Flights it up a bit and bowls it full on the stumps, Riyan Parag leans on and pushes it down to long on for one more.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.The initial call is for two but they have to settle for the single. Flatter and on the pads, neatly tucked away by Dhruv Jurel in front of square on the leg side for a run.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Riyan Parag, 2 runs.Flighted, full and on off, Riyan Parag drills it wide of sweeper covers for a brace. Just three runs off the over and Hyderabad have pulled things back here,

Shahbaz Ahmed to Riyan Parag, No run.Fires this one full, on off, Riyan Parag pats it down to backward point. Three dots in a row now!

Shahbaz Ahmed to Riyan Parag, No run.Short and around off, Riyan Parag punches it straight to short covers again.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Riyan Parag, No run.Floated, full and on off, Riyan Parag taps it to short covers.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Quicker, full and on leg, Dhruv Jurel clips it through square leg for a single.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Dhruv Jurel, No run.Tossed up, full and on off, Dhruv Jurel defends it on the front foot.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Another short delivery, outside off, Dhruv Jurel cuts it towards deep point for one more.

Abhishek Sharma to Riyan Parag, 1 run.Quicker, full and around off, Riyan Parag stabs it through covers for one.

Abhishek Sharma to Dhruv Jurel, 1 run.Short and outside off, Dhruv Jurel cuts it towards point where a fumble allows a run.

Dhruv Jurel walks out to bat next.

Abhishek Sharma to Sanju Samson, OUT! c Aiden Markram b Abhishek Sharma.OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! And suddenly the scene has changed at Chepauk! Abhishek Sharma drags his length back and around middle, Sanju Samson's eyes light up as he rocks back to pull it away, but he hits it much straighter and flatter wide of long on, Aiden Markram runs to his right and takes a brilliant catch sliding on the ground. This is a huge, huge moment in this game!

Abhishek Sharma to Riyan Parag, 1 run.Tossed up, full and on off, Riyan Parag pushes it through covers for a single.

Abhishek Sharma to Riyan Parag, No run.Abhishek Sharma starts with a floated delivery, full adn on middle, turns away, Riyan Parag looks to play but gets an outside edge along the ground to short third man.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Riyan Parag, 1 run.Looped up, full and on off, Riyan Parag drives it towards long off for one.

Riyan Parag is the new batter in.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Yashasvi Jaiswal, OUT! c Abdul Samad b Shahbaz Ahmed.OUT! TAKEN! Shahbaz Ahmed strikes! A massive wicket for Hyderabad and a big blow to Rajasthan. This one is pushed through quicker, short and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal skips down the track and looks to slog it away over mid-wicket, but gets hurried due to the extra bounce and mistimes it completely in the air towards long off, Abdul Samad settles under it and pouches it safely. Jaiswal goes back after a decent knock but this game is very much alive here.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Sanju Samson, 1 run.Shortish and on off, Sanju Samson punches it to long off for one.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.Flatter, full and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it towards long on for a run.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Six!SIX! Incredible shot! Tossed up, full and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal sees that there is no protection in the deep on the off side, changes his stance and nails the reverse sweep to perfection over the deep point fence for a maximum. It looks like he gets cramped up after playing that shot.

Shahbaz Ahmed to Sanju Samson, 1 run.Shahbaz Ahmed begins with a floated delivery, full and on leg, Sanju Samson tucks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Jaydev Unadkat to Sanju Samson, 1 run.Pitched up and on middle, Sanju Samson drills it down to long on for one. Just five runs off the over!

Jaydev Unadkat to Sanju Samson, No run.Jaydev Unadkat bowls another slower bouncer, on middle, Sanju Samson tries to pull it away but gets a slight bottom edge towards the keeper.

Jaydev Unadkat to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.Pace off again, back of a length and on of, Yashasvi Jaiswal works it off the inner half of the bat through mid-wicket for another run.