Trent Boult, the ace bowler for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), claimed the coveted wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma in the IPL 2024 Qualifier 2 at Chepauk on Friday. Sharma began his bat on a strong note, striking a six and four, but he was unable to control his instincts to attack the seasoned bowler. As a consequence, the elegant left-handed hitter scored 12 runs off five balls.
Trent Boult dismissed the batsman with a back-of-a-length delivery. It was a faster delivery that received additional bounce, resulting in a mishit. Abhishek tried to stay in the crease, but the ball smacked high on the bat, causing the lower hand to come off the handle. The ball was lobbed up to backward point, where Tom Kohler-Cadmore made a safe catch.
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Trent Boult is renowned for his first-wicket overs and danger in powerplays. The left-arm pacer continued to dominate in Qualifier 2.
He concluded with an impressive 1/16 in the Eliminator versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The New Zealand bowler claimed one wicket for six runs in three overs during the powerplay in Ahmedabad.
Prior to the current encounter, the 34-year-old has taken 13 wickets in 15 games at an economy rate of 8.07. He has played an important part in the Royals’ quest to reach the IPL 2024 final.
Abhishek Sharma’s exceptional flair was evident throughout SRHs league appearances. Aged 23 he has tallied an impressive 482 runs across 15 matches at a phenomenal strike rate of 207.75 accomplishing three halfcenturies. Nevertheless his recent quick exit with only three runs scored against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Qualifier 1 left fans disappointed.
Trent Boult helps RR dominate SRH early in IPL 2024 Qualifier 2
Trent Boult impressed with the ball for RR vs SRH early in IPL 2024 Qualifier 2. Apart from Abhishek Sharma, Boult removed Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram in the powerplay overs.
At the time of writing, the Sunrisers were 57/3, with Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen at the crease.
The Royals are on a high after their fourwicket win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator which helped them bounce back from four defeats in five games. The last league match against KKR was rained out.
Meanwhile, SRH are in Qualifier 2 following an eight-wicket loss to the Knight Riders.