After two unsuccessful attempts, Sunrisers Hyderabad have once again failed to overcome the CSK-shaped hurdle which has been making their journey difficult in the title race.

After Chennai Super Kings exploited the flaws in SRH’s batting in the Qualifier 1, it seemed like a one-sided contest was on the cards despite the fact that Kane Williamson’s men did manage to defend totals less than their score of 139/7 in today’s game. However, the battle between the best bowling attack and the finest batting line-up in the latter half of the clash offered a thrilling show and nobody had the chance to label it as a lopsided match anymore.

CSK were looking determined to seal the fight for a ticket to final from the very beginning and were quick to dismantle SRH’s batting line-up. But Carlos Brathwaite’s late heroics saved the Hyderabad-based franchise and helped them post a fighting total.

Apart from Brathwaite’s unbeaten 43-run innings, Williamson contributed with a 15-ball innings of 24 runs and Yusuf Pathan also made as many runs and stood firm against the CSK attack.

Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, and Deepak Chahar took a scalp each while Dwayne Bravo got two wickets to his name. Only Shardul Thakur was hit for 50 runs in his four overs, but the rest didn’t let their economy rates go past 50 with Jadeja allowing only 13 runs in four overs.

In reply, Bhuvneshwar Kumar scalped Shane Watson’s wicket before CSK could open their account. Then Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis former a brief partnership of 24 runs, 22 of which came from Raina’s bat. The southpaw’s dismissal was followed by a middle-order wobble as none of the batters in the middle were able to enter a double-digit score.

Du Plessis kept fighting with little or no support from the other end. Two of the tailenders, however, did manage to reach the double-figures and one of them—Shardul Thakur teamed up with Faf and clubbed a 5-ball cameo of 15 runs in the penultimate over. The lone-warrior’s work was made easy and he finally took the team past the finishing line by hitting a six off the first ball in the final over.

Rashid Khan was SRH’s pick of the bowlers who dismissed MS Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo to boost his side in the low-scoring clash. Sandeep Sharma and Siddarth Kaul also bagged two wickets apiece, but their failure to remove a charged-up du Plessis – who showcased an unbeaten 67-run knock – decided the fate of the match.

Despite serving a two-year-long ban, CSK have reached the final for a record seventh time in the eleventh edition of the league. SRH, on the other hand, will take on the winner of the clash between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders in the second qualifier on May 25. And the winner in that game will play CSK in the final match on May 27.