Heinrich Klaasen cut loose as the Sunrisers Hyderabad claimed a four-wicket win over the Punjab Kings on Sunday to finish second on the IPL log.
Chasing 215 for victory, Hyderabad depended on Abhsihek Sharma’s 66 to reach the target with five balls to spare at their home ground.
Hyderabad, led by Pat Cummins, edged out the Rajasthan Royals for second spot on net run-rate after the final league match between Rajasthan and the Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled in Guwahati.
Kolkata and Hyderabad will face each other in the first qualifier on Tuesday with the winner moving to the final on 26 May in Chennai.
The loser will have another shot at making the final when they play the winner of the eliminator in the second qualifier.
Third-placed Rajasthan, who have been winless in their last five matches, will play the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator on Wednesday in Ahmedabad.
Left-handed Abhishek, who has been a breakout young Indian star in this edition with 467 runs including three half-centuries, took charge after Travis Head departed for a first-ball duck.
He reached his 50 in 21 balls and hammered five fours and six sixes in his 28-ball 66 to set up the chase.
Abhishek put on an attacking stand of 72 with Rahul Tripathi, who smashed 33, before Nitish Kumar Reddy and Klaasen steadied the innings and hit back.
Klaasen hit 42 off 26 balls before getting out in the 19th over and Sanvir Singh steered the team home.
Punjab, who exited the playoff race early and extended their wait for a first IPL title, posted 214-5 as Prabhsimran Singh hit 71 off 45 balls to lay the foundations for the total.
Prabhsimran put on a key stand of 54 with South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw, who hit 49, to set up the batting attack.
Rossouw kept up the charge after Prabhsimran’s departure in the 15th over as he struck three fours and four sixes in his 24-ball knock.
Jitesh Sharma, who stood in as captain after England’s Sam Curran returned home after the previous win, steered the team past 200 and ended the innings with two sixes in his unbeaten 32 off 15 balls.
Left-arm medium-pace bowler T Natarajan stood out with figures of 2-33 in his four overs.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: BCCI
