IPL 2024 Playoff SRH vs RR: Cummins vs Boult, Who Will be the Top Four Wicket-takers in Qualifier-2?

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IPL 2024 is almost in its penultimate stage and the second qualifier of the campaign, Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Rajasthan Royals at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday (May 24).

After ending the season at second on the table, SRH lost to KKR in the Qualifier-1. On the other hand, RR managed to win the eliminator against RCB. In Qualifier-1, KKR humbled SRH by eight wickets, and in the other match, RR registered a comfortable win over the Bengaluru side.

Both the teams have met 19 times in the past and SRH got a slight edge over the Royals as they won ten matches, while RR. In their last meeting, the Risers clinched a win by the slightest margin of one run.

SRH vs RR IPL 2024 Play-off: Bowling Squad Comparison

SRH bowling has been heavily dependent on pacers this season. Their pace squad has been spearheaded by Pat Cummins and has been quite decent so far.

Another experienced pacer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not quite up to par in this IPL, but the uncapped pacer, T. Natarajan has been exceptional. On the other hand, their spin department has failed to make any significant impact.

Rajasthan have one of the most balanced and experienced bowling squads of this season and they have been decent till now. Their seasoned spinner duo, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal has picked up their form at the right moment of the league. The RR pace-battery will be managed by Trent Boult, Avesh Khan and Sandeep Sharma who all have been in brilliant form.

SRH vs RR IPL 2024 Play-off: Who will be the Highest Wicket-takers in Hyderabad vs Rajasthan?

T. Natarajan (SRH): With 18 wickets this season, the 34-year-old Indian pacer has been instrumental in Hyderabad's successful run this year. Surpassing the other star bowlers in the squad he has managed to become the best bowler in SRH. The left-arm medium-fast bowler will be crucial against the RR top-order batters.

Pat Cummins (SRH): The Australian right-arm fast bowler has been leading the Hyderabad pace attack with decent performances. The 34-year-old veteran has bagged 16 wickets this season. Along with two other pacers, Natarajan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he is expected to topple the RR batting in the early overs.

Trent Boult (RR): The Kiwi left-arm medium-fast bowler, though he has only 13 wickets this season, has been quite successful in the powerplay overs. The 34-year-old pacer will be pivotal against in-form SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who have struggled against left-arm pace in recent matches.

Yuzvendra Chahal (RR): The 33-year-old right-arm leg-spinner with the highest number of wickets in IPL history is also the highest wicket-taker for RR this season with 18 wickets. Though his economy rate is on the higher side. Along with Ashwin, he will be the main option for RR to stop SRH middle-order.

A humiliating defeat against the table-toppers is expected to take a toll on the SRH's morale, while RR has defied all the odds and the RCB's miraculous winning momentum to grab a win. But the tournament is known for its unpredictability and anything can happen.

A fresh pitch at Chepauk for today's match will make the match more unpredictable. Hence, a thrilling battle between a star-studded batting line-up of SRH and a balanced bowling attack of RR will be expected from this qualifier.