NI Bureau
#IPL 2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad Secure Second Place After RR vs KKR Match Gets Washed Out in Guwahati
New Delhi: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) climbed to second place in the IPL 2024 points table after a four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings and a washout of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs. Rajasthan Royals (RR) match in Guwahati on Sunday. The 2016 champions, SRH, will now face the table-topping KKR in Qualifier 1 on May 21 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rajasthan Royals, who have not won any of their last four games, needed a win to surpass SRH and secure the second spot. However, the washout against KKR left the Sanju Samson-led side in third place with 17 points. They will now play against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator on May 22. SRH, with a net run rate of +0.414, finished ahead of RR, who had a net run rate of +0.273. KKR, two-time champions, finished at the top of the table with 20 points from 14 games.
The winner of Qualifier 1 will advance directly to the final, scheduled for May 26 at Chepauk. The loser of Qualifier 1 will play the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2. The winner of Qualifier 2 will then proceed to the final. Both Qualifier 2 and the final will take place at Chepauk.
On the final day of the league stage, Punjab Kings elected to bat first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Prabhsimran Singh’s rapid 71, along with significant contributions from opener Atharva Taide (46) and Rilee Rossouw (49), helped Punjab Kings post a total of 214/5.
Prabhsimran and Taide shared a 97-run partnership from just 55 balls. Taide scored 46 from 27 balls with five fours and two sixes, while Prabhsimran smashed seven sixes and four fours in his 45-ball 71. Rossouw added a quick 24-ball 49, and stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma provided late fireworks with an unbeaten 32.
In response, SRH lost Travis Head on the first ball of the chase to a brilliant delivery from Arshdeep Singh. However, opener Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 28-ball 66 (including six sixes and five fours) guided SRH to the target with five balls to spare. Contributions from Rahul Tripathi (33), Nitish Reddy (37), and Heinrich Klaasen (42) further bolstered the chase.
Meanwhile, in Guwahati, persistent rain delayed the start of the KKR vs. RR match, eventually leading to its abandonment without a single ball being bowled. There was a brief period of hope when the rain stopped after 10 PM IST, and KKR won the toss, opting to field first in a seven-over-per-side game. However, the rain returned, frustrating fans and players alike at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
Prateeksha Thakur
