Rajasthan Royals’ title dream was brought to a grinding halt by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second qualifier game of the IPL 2024 playoffs in Chennai on Friday. SRH posted a 36-run win to seal their spot in the championship clash against Kolkata Knight Riders this Sunday.
SRH put up a score of 175 runs for the loss of 9 wickets and went on to defend their total by limiting RR to 139 runs for seven in 20 overs to seal the win.
Sunrisers opted for a spin attack at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on the day and got brilliant returns for the strategy as the spinners tipped the scale of the game in their favour. Shahbaz Ahmed picked up a three-fer while Abhishek Sharma scalped two wickets.
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RR hit a purple patch at the outset of the tournament racing to the top of the points table but eventually slumped to a series of losses towards the fag end of the group stage. Despite the late slump, they pulled through to the playoffs and picked up a four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator.
Rajasthan initiated their title thrust with four straight wins in the opening stretch as they got the better of Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and RCB in dominant fashion. Sanju Samson and Co. fell to a surprise defeat to Gujarat Titans before returning to winning ways with buoyant wins over Punjab Kings and KKR, and did the double over MI and LSG.
RR were condemned to four straight defeats to SRH, DC, Chennai Super Kings and PBKS before splitting points with KKR in their final group game due to a rain-forced washout at their second home of Barsapara Stadium.
The side from Rajasthan finished their group stage with 17 points and stood third at the end of their 14 games to earn a playoff spot in the Eliminator against RCB. They sealed a four-wicket win over Bengaluru to earn the flight ticket to Chennai for the penultimate hurdle in their title dream, which was brought to a crashing halt by SRH.
The season looked painfully similar to what they experienced in the previous year as well when they got off to an incredible start to the campaign before crumbling in the most dramatic of fashion in the final stretch to miss out on a top-four spot.
When asked if the momentum they lost due to defeats in the games leading up to their ultimate exit hampered their confidence going into the qualifier, RR head coach and director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara opined, “Confidence and morale are just about our preparations, and you have streaks in T20 cricket.”
The former Sri Lankan captain cited the example of RCB, who had a near laterally inverted season, losing a bunch of their opening games before managing to reach the playoffs in cinematic fashion on the back of six triumphs.
“RCB for instance lost everything at the front end and won everything in the second part. Then again, they lost to us in the crucial eliminator. So it doesn’t really matter. It is just about performing on the day.”
“All we can do is put ourselves in the playoff positions and try to play the final, which we did,” he asserted.
He emphasised on the quality of cricket his side played throughout the month-long tournament.
“The guys played phenomenal cricket throughout the season and just a little bit of fatigue towards the back end, but I guess it doesn’t really matter when you are in games like this, you just got to turn up and perform,” Sangakkara said.
“Sunrisers outbowled us, but I thought we also bowled really well though but did not hang in there and take it deep,” he reflected.
“I thought first half of this particular game we did exceptionally well and we came into that dressing room knowing it was going to be a tough chase and after we got that start it was about building partnerships and we did not do that,” the southpaw explained.
The manner in which the side from the pink city of India look to approach the game has a tinge of CSK’s ethos of trusting the process instead of getting swayed by results.
Sangakkara has been vocal about his support for the project and has stated how proud he is of the outlook the inaugural edition champions have pertaining to the game, despite the cut-throat competition persistent in franchise league cricket.
Star opener Jos Buttler demonstrated his class yet again with some statement performances before he had to report for national duty with England. The Royals seemed to have sorely missed the services of the brilliant batter but portrayed the sentiments of a noteworthy campaign.
IPL 2024 has proved to be a coming-of-age season for promising youngster Riyan Parag, who has amassed 573 runs in the campaign, and topped the scoring charts for the side. Sanju Samson, who has contributed 531 runs on paper and immensely more in his role as the skipper, has been rewarded with a call-up to the national blue at the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
Samson has been the unanimous poster boy of the exciting endeavour and has lived up to the expectations and more, leading from the front. Sangakkara went on to laud the contributions of the batters in the side’s search for a second title, despite the goal not coming to pass.
“Looking back on the season, Riyan and Sanju, the way they have batted and the way they have held the side together,” the Sri Lankan said.
The Royals have had meaningful contributions from multiple names such as spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal while pacers Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma and Avesh Khan have troubled batters trying to get into the swing of things.
Sangakkara also singled out the promising Dhurv Jurel in praise and tipped him for greatness in years to come.
Chahal reached the 200-wicket milestone in the tournament with one of his 18 scalps this season while Boult shone in the powerplay overs through the event and managed 16 dismissals.
“Then there is Jurel, who I think is going to be phenomenal across formats, and then of course there are Ashwin and Chahal,” the Lankan added.
“Boult was absolutely outstanding throughout and Sandeep has been brilliant, and the list goes on,” he added.
Sanga reserved special praise for Avesh, who was traded in from LSG ahead of the season, and has proved to be focal with the leather in RR’s thrust for success. The pacer features in the top five ranks of the wicket-takers charts with his 19 scalps in the competition.
“Going into the season we needed a pacer and we went in for Avesh and he has shown throughout the season that he has got great presence and clarity. He is very good at finishing off at the end and I think he has been phenomenal for RR,” the 46-year-old said.
The Royals might have suffered yet another setback in their chase for a second trophy and their wait would certainly go on for at least one more year before they can dream of silverware again, but the Jaipur-based outfit have endeared themselves to the nation with their brand of cricket and seem assured of the direction they are marching in, staying true to their philosophy.
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