Dan Vettori’s Strategic Move: Shahbaz Ahmed’s Impact as Sub, Says Pat Cummins

25.05.2024: Captain Pat Cummins lauded Sunrisers Hyderabad after their impressive 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, securing a place in the 2024 Indian Premier League final. SRH will face Kolkata Knight Riders at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai this Sunday.

SRH posted 175/9 and restricted RR to 139/7 on Friday night, setting up a chance to avenge their earlier defeat by KKR in the first qualifier of the week.

IPL 2024 Qualifier 2: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals – Highlights

“The boys have been fantastic all season. There’s a great vibe in the squad, and reaching the final was our goal from the start of the season,” Cummins said after the win.

Put into bat, the 2016 champions struggled to accelerate in the final overs but managed to post a competitive total. Trent Boult’s three-wicket burst rattled SRH early, but Travis Head (34) and Rahul Tripathi (37) steadied the innings. Heinrich Klaasen contributed a brisk 50, though the late flourish SRH hoped for did not materialize.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 42 led Rajasthan’s reply, but their top order couldn’t build on his start. Dhruv Jurel smashed 56 off 35 balls but lacked support from the other end. Shahbaz Ahmed led SRH’s disciplined bowling with figures of 3/23, while part-timer Abhishek Sharma impressed with 2/24.

“We knew our strength was our batting, and we wouldn’t underestimate the experience in our squad. Having Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Nattu (T Natarajan), and (Jaydev) Unadkat makes my job easy,” Cummins said.

When asked about the decision to bring in Shahbaz Ahmed as the impact sub, Cummins quipped, “Dan Vettori wanted as many left-arm orthodox bowlers as possible.”

Regarding Abhishek Sharma’s bowling, Cummins added, “That was a surprise. We tried to get one over with him against a couple of right-handers, and he bowled beautifully. Their bowling in the middle overs won us the game. Chasing 170 was tough, but with a couple of wickets, we knew we had a chance.”

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s strategic brilliance and disciplined performance have earned them a spot in the IPL 2024 final. As they prepare to face Kolkata Knight Riders, fans eagerly await another thrilling showdown at Chepauk.