IPL 2024: 3 records that can be broken in the Qualifier 2 between SRH and RR

We are into our penultimate game of the season as the IPL 2024 closes on completion. The iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will play host to a crucial Qualifier 2 clash between SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday, May 24.

SRH will be hurting after a convincing defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Qualifier 1. Pat Cummins and his men will be looking to learn from their mistakes and bounce back in a do-or-die encounter. Their batting, heavily reliant on Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, needs to fire consistently.

On the other hand, RR are high on confidence after a thrilling victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator. Sanju Samson's leadership and Riyan Parag's crucial batting have been key factors in their success. Their bowling attack, with the likes of Trent Boult and Yuzvendra Chahal, is a well-oiled unit capable of restricting any batting lineup.

Ahead of tonight's huge Qualifier 2, here are the three best records that could be broken in the SRH vs RR affair.

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#3 Bhuvneshwar could become the first Indian pacer to take 300 T20 wickets

Bhuvneshwar Kumar for Sunrisers Hyderabad [Image credit: Getty Images]

Tonight's Qualifier 2 will see all the attention on Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The veteran seamer has a chance to write his name in history by becoming the first Indian fast bowler to reach 300 wickets in T20 cricket.

The incredible feat would solidify his place as a legend in Indian white-ball cricket. Reaching this milestone would be a testament to his remarkable consistency, especially considering the dominance of spinners in T20 wicket-taking.

Bhuvneshwar, however, has carved his path with his mastery of swing bowling and his ability to snatch wickets at critical moments. In his illustrious 284-match T20 career, the Meerut pacer has taken a whopping 299 wickets, all while maintaining a fantastic economy rate of 7.28.

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#2 Sanju Samson can become the most successful RR captain ever

Sanju Samson acknowledging his fifty for RR [Getty Images]

It has been a superb season for Samson, who has amassed 521 runs at a strike rate of 155.5 so far. However, apart from his immaculate batting, Samson's captaincy goes under the radar somehow.

Ever since taking the reins in 2021, Samson has led RR across 60 matches. He took the side to the finals of IPL 2022 and is just one win away from reaching another ultimate game this season. Under Samson, RR have won 31 matches, making him the joint-most successful leader alongside the great Shane Warne.

A win over SRH would take Samson on top of the list, and will further cement his position as one of the greats for RR.

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#1 Riyan Parag could create history vs SRH

Riyan Parag has been in red-hot form this season

After continuous seasons of underperformance, Riyan Parag has finally stepped up to the plate for the inaugural champions. He has repaid the faith shown by the RR management, having made the No. 4 his own.

Parag has looked in supreme touch, taking confidence from the spectacular domestic season he had last year. In the 13 innings he has played in IPL 2024 so far, Parag has accumulated 567 runs at a strike rate of over 151 and an average of 56.7. Only two players (Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal) have scored more runs than Parag in a season for RR.

Interestingly, the Assam-born batting all-rounder could break his teammate, Yashasvi Jaiswal's record of scoring the most runs in an IPL season as an uncapped player. Jaiswal hammered 625 last year and Parag is just 59 runs away from creating history.

Parag has been quite impressive so far this season and there have been talks about him representing India later this year. In that case, IPL 2024 might be his last season as an "uncapped" talent!