Sunrisers Hyderabads versatile leftarm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed disrupted Rajasthan Royals chase dramatically in the second qualifier of IPL 2024. He skillfully claimed the crucial wickets of Riyan Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin in a decisive over on Friday May 24 captivating the audience at the illustrious MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The match was tied at that point, with RR on 79/3 after 11 overs. As the needed pace increased, Riyan Parag attempted a lofted shot against Shahbaz Ahmed, but only got a thick edge.
The ball flew high into the air and landed in deep midwicket, where Abhishek Sharma easily caught it. After delivering two dot balls, Shahbaz castled Ashwin, reducing RR to 79/5 and putting SRH ahead in the match.
Watch the dismissals in the video below:
Shahbaz Ahmed’s Three Wickets Propel SRH to IPL 2024 Finals
SRH batted first in the match, scoring a respectable total of 175/5 on a two-paced pitch. Heinrich Klaasen (50) and Rahul Tripathi (37) made significant contributions. Shahbaz Ahmed stepped in as an impact substitution after the Sunrisers lost their sixth wicket and scored a good 18 (18) to help Klaasen.
Shahbaz’s insertion midway through the match proved to be a great move in the second innings. He weaved a web around the RR hitters in the chase, bowling 4-0-23-3 to win the match. Abhishek Sharma matched him admirably with a spell of 4-0-24-2. As a result, Rajasthan Royals could only score 139/7 and lost by 36 runs.
Shahbaz Ahmed was named Player of the Match following the game. Reflecting on his performance, he stated:
“The captain and coach had a chat with me, they said we’ll put you to use as per the situation. This is my role, to play down the order, and so, they used me down the order. To be honest, I had a feeling there was something on this wicket when I was batting, the ball was stopping a bit the way Avesh Khan and Sandeep Sharma were bowling towards the latter stages of the first innings.”
Shahbaz Ahmed
He continued:
“Feeling really proud to receive the player of the match award in such a big game. Enjoyed the journey thus far, the atnosphere around the team has been relaxing, there hasn’t been much pressure. I’ll relax tonight and celebrate only once we win the final.”
Shahbaz Ahmed
On the momentous Sunday of May 26 experience the adrenaline rush as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) go headtohead with SRH in the grand finale of IPL 2024 set to take place at the familiar battleground.