Indian T20 League 2024 

Qualifier 2: HYD vs RAJ

Preview

After facing a defeat against Kolkata in Qualifier 1, Hyderabad(HYD) will be looking to regroup again to face Rajasthan(RAJ), who defeated Bengaluru in the Eliminator of the IND T20 League 2024 on Wednesday. Pat Cummins-led Hyderabad will meet Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan in the Qualifier 2 of the league campaign on Friday(24th May 2024) at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The winner of this match will meet Kolkata in the final of the 17th edition of the IND T20 League on Sunday(26th May 2024).

The Orange Army HYD ended their league campaign in second place with eight wins out of 14 matches with a healthy net run rate of +0.414, secured 17 points and their 1 match ended due to the interruption of rain. On the other hand, the Pink Army RAJ finished their league campaign in third place with eight wins out of 14 matches with a positive net run rate of +0.273, collected 17 points and their 1 match ended with a no result.

Hyderabad must face pressure for the first in this year's competition after having a horrendous Qualifier 1 match against the finalist Kolkata(KOL) who mayhem Hyderabad by 8 wickets with 38 balls to spear. The Two-time IND T20 League winners Kolkata restricted HYD to the score of 159 runs and chased down the target in 13.4 overs. Talking about the Eliminator, Rajasthan pulled off a comfortable win against Bengaluru after restricting BLR on the score of 172 runs and chased down the target in the 19th over with the crucial knock off Jaiswal's 45 and Riyan Parag's 36 to seal the victory for Rajasthan.

It is expected to be a thrilling encounter between the two sides but only one will seal the final's spot. In their last head-to-head meeting, HYD won a nail-biter against RAJ by 1 run thanks to the courtesy of Bhuvenshwar Kumar(3/41) and Nitish Reddy's 76* off 42 who guided the Orange Army to win that match. HYD and RAJ have faced each other in 19 matches in IND T20 League history. Out of these 19 matches, Hyderabad has won 10 whereas Rajasthan has come out victorious on 9 occasions.

Match Details

Match: HYD vs RAJ, Qualifier 2, Indian T20 League 2024

Date: Friday, May 24, 2024

Time: 7:30 PM

Venue: M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India

Pitch and Weather Report 

The average score batting first at the Chepauk in the IND T20 League is 164 runs. In this year's competition, totals above 200+ have been posted 4 times at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. In Qualifier 2 between HYD and RAJ, we expect the team batting first to set a target of around 190-200 runs. While not a perfect batting paradise, it does provide something for both batters particularly. Unlike some of the slower surfaces seen this season, Chepauk is likely to perform well. We can expect decent batting conditions, particularly early and late in the innings, however, spinners may come into action as the ball softens in the second half. If dew falls, the team chasing will have a tiny edge.

The weather in Chennai on the match day is expected to be warm and humid, with no chances of rain. We should get a full game. Humidity levels are 55% and the temperature will hover around the range of 29 degrees Celsius. 

HYD vs RAJ Squads

HYD: Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Nitish Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Mayank Agarwal, Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Yadav, Mayank Markande, Jhatavedh Subramanyan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh

RAJ: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rovman Powell, Nandre Burger, Keshav Maharaj, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Sen, Donovan Ferreira, Abid Mushtaq, Shubham Dubey, Kunal Singh Rathore, Navdeep Saini

HYD vs RAJ Probable Playing XIs

HYD: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan

RAJ: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal

Match Prediction

Rajasthan will be out for revenge when they meet Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 on Friday. HYD emerged victorious in their only encounter this season, a nail-biting one-run win. However, RAJ's dominant victory in the Eliminator has boosted their confidence against BLR. Pat Cummins' led HYD has a formidable batting lineup, but their success is dependent on the openers getting off to a flying start. We expect HYD to win this encounter.

Suggested Playing XI Real11 Fantasy Cricket

Team 1

Team 2