It was a frustrating yet joyous Thursday evening for the Sunrisers Hyderabad fans as their team officially qualified for the IPL 2024 playoffs after a washout against Gujarat Titans at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
The only thing close to action was a period of nearly 30 minutes of players beginning their warm-ups and Pat Cummins coming out, fully geared up, for the already-delayed toss around 8 p.m.
But soon, the lush green ground was covered by blue covers. After that, there wasn’t much that anyone could do but wait for the inevitable.
Two washouts for GT
The Shubman Gill-led side was left disappointed as its campaign for this season ended with two consecutive washouts; the one at home against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday also meant its elimination from the playoffs.
Hyderabad, with 15 points, further dented the slim hopes of Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants in the qualification race. While DC has finished its league games, LSG will play its final match on Friday against Mumbai Indians.
The SRH-GT result has also turned Saturday’s clash between RCB and CSK into a knockout, the winner making it to the next stage. For Sunrisers, there is something to play for when it meets Punjab Kings later this week as it will hope to finish second.
However, if Rajasthan Royals wins its last match against KKR, it would seal the second spot.
If CSK beats RCB, Punjab beats Hyderabad, and Royals lose their last game, the Men in Yellow will play in Qualifier 1 against Knight Riders in Ahmedabad.
Published - May 16, 2024 11:09 pm IST
