Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals are all set to lock horns in the IPL 2024 Qualifier 2 in Chennai on Friday. The winner of the match will go on to face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chepauk on Sunday, May 26th.
Rajasthan and Hyderabad would have that one last chance to keep their hopes of winning the IPL 2024 title alive. While Hyderabad suffered a defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 1, Rajasthan on the other hand ousted Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 4 wickets in Ahmedabad.
Have SRH & RR met in an IPL knockout match before?
Both Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have taken on each other only once in an IPL knockout match in history. The year was 2013, also the same season, when Hyderabad was re-introduced into the IPL.
In the eliminator, played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Rajasthan Royals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 4 wickets, in a nail-biting finish in the last over. Former Australian batter Brad Hodge was named as the player of the match.
IPL 2024 would be the first time in over a decade that both these sides will be locking horns against on each other in a knockout match.
Also Read: Virat Kohli’s Report Card in IPL Knockouts
Playoffs Record
Let’s take the Rajasthan Royals first. The team from the land of Marwar are also the inaugural champions of the IPL, way back in 2008. When the playoffs were introduced in 2011, Rajasthan made it to the knockouts on four occasions.
Rajasthan’s Record in Playoffs
| Season | Opponent | Stage | Result |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians | Qualifier 2 | Lost by 4 wickets |
| 2015 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Eliminator | Lost by 71 runs |
| 2018 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Eliminator | Lost by 25 runs |
| 2022 | Gujarat Titans | Final | Lost by 7 wickets – Runners-up |
Rajasthan Royals has been an inconsistent side when it comes to featuring in the playoffs. In the last 11 seasons, RR has managed to book just four playoff berths. The closest they came to lifting the IPL trophy was in 2022, but they lost to a resurgent Gujarat Titans led by Hardik Pandya.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, rebranded and reintroduced in 2013, the Orange Army has made it to the Playoffs on six occasions, excluding the ongoing 2024 season.
SRH Record in Playoffs
| Season | Opponent | Stage | Result |
| 2013 | Rajasthan Royals | Eliminator | Lost by 4 wickets |
| 2016 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Final | Won by 8 runs – Champions |
| 2017 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Eliminator | Lost by 7 wickets |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | Final | Lost by 8 wickets – Runners up |
| 2019 | Delhi Capitals | Eliminator | Lost by 2 wickets |
| 2020 | Delhi Capitals | Qualifier 2 | Lost by 17 runs |
Sunrisers Hyderabad has a mixed record in the Playoffs. They have lost three Eliminators in the past, and a qualifier-2 to Delhi Capitals in the 2020 season. However, the Orange Army emerged champions in the 2016 season, and lost to Chennai Super Kings in the final, a couple of years later.
H2H Record in IPL
There is very little to choose from both sides regarding the overall Head-To-Head record. Both the teams have taken on each other 19 times in the IPL before the Qualifier 2 in Chennai. Hyderabad has won 10 matches, while Rajasthan has 9 victories in their pocket.
SRH vs RR – The last meeting
Both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals met once in IPL 2024. The match was a humdinger, with Hyderabad winning the match by just one run, on their home turf. SRH veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero for the local team with three wickets. There is very little to choose between these two top teams in the IPL, going into Qualifier 2.
Only one team’s dream of winning the IPL title will stay alive, while for the loser, this will again be a case of so near, yet so far. Who will be the one smiling on Friday?
