Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) face off today at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai for the second qualifier of IPL 2024. Rajasthan secured their spot by defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the eliminator match. The winner will play against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final on May 26, also in Chennai. KKR had already secured their place in the final by defeating SRH in the first qualifier by 8 wickets.
SRH, who had a spectacular league phase, lost their first qualifier against KKR. Key batsmen Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma failed to provide a strong start in that match. Today, they face the pressure to perform on a tricky Chennai pitch, which is known to be challenging for batsmen.
For Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, today's match is another test after their victory over RCB. Although they qualified for the playoffs with six wins, they stumbled in the knockout phase. However, RR's bowlers and batsmen showcased their strength in the eliminator, leading to victory. Sanju Samson's form is a concern, but Yashasvi Jaiswal's performance has been a positive highlight.
Head-to-Head Record:
In IPL history, SRH and RR have faced each other 19 times. Rajasthan leads slightly with 10 wins, while Hyderabad has 9 victories. This season, SRH won their only encounter by 1 run. Both teams have won 3 out of their last 6 matches against each other, indicating a close contest.
Pitch Report:
The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is slow and aids spinners. Batsmen must struggle initially but can score heavily if they understand the pitch. The average first innings score here in IPL is 164, while the second innings averages 150 runs.
Weather Report:
Heavy rains are expected across South India, including Tamil Nadu, today. However, the weather forecast for Chennai suggests that the match is unlikely to be interrupted by rain. If rain does affect the game, there is a reserve day. If the match cannot be played on both days, SRH will qualify directly for the final as they are higher on the points table than Rajasthan.
