Sunrisers Beat Royals to Set Up IPL Final Clash with KKR
Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs on Friday, securing their place in the IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders. Heinrich Klaasen’s explosive 50 off 34 balls helped Sunrisers post a total of 175-9. Spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, who took three crucial wickets, played a pivotal role in restricting Rajasthan to 139-7, enabling Hyderabad to reach their third IPL final, which will be held in Chennai on Sunday.
Ahmed’s all-round performance was instrumental in Hyderabad’s victory. He scored 18 runs as an impact substitute and later delivered a remarkable bowling performance with figures of 3-23. This included the crucial dismissals of Rajasthan’s top-order batsmen. Despite a quickfire 42 from Yashasvi Jaiswal and a resilient unbeaten 56 from Dhruv Jurel, Rajasthan’s chase faltered. Key wickets, including those of captain Sanju Samson and big-hitter Shimron Hetmyer, further hampered their innings.
Kolkata Knight Riders, who had previously thrashed Hyderabad in the first play-off game, will now face Pat Cummins’ Sunrisers in the final. Cummins, who has had a remarkable year, leading Australia to victories in the Test championship and the ODI World Cup, remains on the cusp of another title. He attributed the team’s success to their strategic gameplay and the impactful decisions made by coach Daniel Vettori, including bringing Ahmed in as an impact sub.
The match was held at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, with local fans showing strong support despite the absence of their home team, Chennai Super Kings. Many fans donned jerseys of Chennai veteran M.S. Dhoni, underscoring his continued popularity. The weather in Chennai was significantly cooler compared to the intense heatwave conditions of the previous matches in Ahmedabad.
In the final overs of Hyderabad’s innings, South African batsman Klaasen’s solid performance, including a key seventh-wicket stand with Ahmed, ensured a competitive total. Rajasthan’s bowlers, including Trent Boult and Avesh Khan, delivered early breakthroughs but couldn’t contain the middle-order resurgence. The stage is now set for an exciting final showdown between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, promising a thrilling conclusion to this IPL season.
