NEWS
Follow UsSunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) made it to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) final after pipping Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 36 runs in Qualifier 2 in Chennai on May 24 (Friday). They will now face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final at the same venue on May 26 (Sunday). Heinrich Klaasen, who scored a fighting 34-ball fifty, credits brave cricket as a crucial factor that helped his side make it through to the final.
“Very pleased for the boys, we played some incredible, brave cricket. Sometimes, it didn’t come off, but yeah, the game repaid us, and it’s a great bounce back from our previous Qualifier. One more day’s rest and we do it all over again," Klaasen said in a video on the IPL website.
"Very happy with my own performance today, weather-wise it was nice and out but wasn’t too bad. Just needed to regroup and just get my head clear to think what I need to do next. It was nice tonight felt like I had to jump in a swimming pool and get my kit on and play."
Klaasen also lauded spells from Abhishek Sharma (2/24) and Shahbaz Ahmed (3/23), which tilted the match in SRH's favour after RR were set a target of 176.
"They changed the game completely for us. They were our fifth bowler, and we looked to squeeze probably one over each. But yeah, they changed the game for us. For them, going into the finals will be a big plus, I am very pleased with the boys doing it on a big stage like tonight. That could mean a lot to them. It meant a lot to the team as well,” Klaasen said.
SRH have already lost to KKR twice in IPL 2024, the most recent coming in Qualifier 1. However, they will hope to turn it around in the final, and clinch their second IPL title. KKR, on the other hand, are chasing their third IPL title - their first since 2014.
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