Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will compete for a spot in the final in the IPL 2024 Qualifier 2 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, May 24. IPL’s top power-hitters, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, are set to face a formidable challenge from the crafty spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin. 

While Pat Cummins’ SRH came into the match following a heavy 8-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 1, Sanju Samson’s RR were buoyed by a 4-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator.

In their previous match, SRH’s strong batting lineup faltered, with Rahul Tripathi’s lone fifty and Cummins’ late cameo helping them reach 159. However, KKR chased down the target inside 14 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, securing a direct entry to the final.

Despite the loss, SRH had another opportunity to reach the final due to their second-place finish in the points table. Meanwhile, RR advanced to Qualifier 2 after Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer’s partnership helped them chase down 173 against RCB at the same venue in Ahmedabad.

Both teams aim to move one step closer to winning their second title as they face each other for the 20th time in IPL history and their first-ever encounter in Chennai.

SRH vs RR Head-to-Head Record

In the 19 head-to-head encounters between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL so far, SRH holds a slight edge with 10 wins, while RR has won 9 times. In their only playoff meeting, RR emerged victorious. The last 6 meetings between the two sides have been evenly matched, with each team winning 3 games. Notably, SRH clinched a thrilling 1-run victory at home in their solitary league stage meeting in IPL 2024. 

SRH Record in MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai SRH Played

10 SRH Won: 1 

SRH Lost: 8 

SRH Tied: 1 (Lost Super Over) 

SRH Won Batting First: 0 

SRH Won Chasing: 1 

SRH Highest Score: 177 

SRH Lowest Total: 134 

RR Record in MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 

RR Played: 9 

RR Won: 2 

RR Lost: 7 

RR Won Batting First: 2 

RR Won Chasing: 0 

RR Highest Total: 223 

RR Lowest Total: 141

Weather Report

Leading up to Qualifier 1, Chennai has experienced wet weather, yet there’s currently no major rain threat looming over the anticipated clash. Weather in this region can be fickle, though. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has cautioned about light rain in the city over the next 48 hours. While the threat isn’t significant, even a few hours of rain could impact the game.

For concerned fans, there’s a contingency plan for rain on May 24 in Chennai. In such an event, Qualifier 2 would be scheduled for the following day. However, if play remains impossible on the reserve day, a scenario highly unlikely, the team with the higher points standing will advance.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Probable XI:  

Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Heinrich Klaasen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal

Rajasthan Royals Probable XI:  

Sanju Samson (C), Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Navdeep Saini, Tanish Kotian, Sandeep Sharma