Sunrisers Hyderabad found themselves in deep trouble during the IPL 2024 final against Kolkata Knight Riders, facing an astonishing batting collapse that put them on the back foot from the start. The match began on a positive note for SRH, with their captain Pat Cummins winning the toss and opting to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
This decision was influenced by their recent success at the same venue, where they defeated Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier while batting first. However, this strategy quickly backfired. KKR’s bowling attack, led by the formidable Mitchell Starc, dismantled SRH’s top order early. In the first over itself, Starc bowled a brilliant delivery to dismiss Abhishek Sharma, setting the tone for the innings.
This early blow was just the beginning of SRH’s troubles, as wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. By the eleventh over, SRH had crumbled to 62 for 5. The middle order, featuring Shahbaz Ahmed and Abdul Samad, failed to stabilize the innings, with both batsmen falling cheaply and leaving SRH struggling at 77 for 7.
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With the team in disarray, their hopes rested on the shoulders of Heinrich Klaasen, a reliable performer who had scored a fighting fifty in their previous match at the same venue. Unfortunately for SRH, Klaasen could not replicate his previous heroics. In the first ball of the 15th over, he faced a slower delivery from Harshit Rana, which was pitched well outside the off stump.
Heinrich Klaasen misjudged the pace and ended up dragging the ball onto his stumps, departing for a modest 16 runs from 17 balls. His dismissal further dimmed SRH’s prospects, as the cameras panned to co-owner Kavya Maran in the stands, who looked visibly dejected.
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The final nail in the coffin came when SRH were bowled out for a paltry 113 in the 19th over. At the time of writing, KKR, having already defeated SRH twice this season, were in a commanding position to secure another victory. SRH, on the other hand, would need a miraculous turnaround to recover from their disastrous batting performance and stay in contention for the title.
