The 50th match of the Indian Premier League 2024 had a thrilling end at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday night as the Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated the Rajasthan Royals by a score of only one run.
SRH Post 201/3 After Opting to Bat
Pat Cummins, the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, chose to bat first after winning the toss. At first, the choice appeared dubious because they lost the wickets of Anmolpreet Singh and Abhishek Sharma during the powerplay. Nevertheless, the SRH innings was saved by a vital combination between Travis Head (58) and Nitish Reddy (76*). Together, they scored 96 runs off of just 57 deliveries, providing a strong basis for a respectable total.
Heinrich Klaasen’s Late Flourish Propels SRH to 201
Heinrich Klaasen put the finishing touches on the slog overs with a quick-fire 42 off 19 balls, which included three fours and two sixes. His strike guaranteed that SRH set a difficult goal of 201 for the Royals to pursue.
Royals Get Off to a Steady Start
Sanju Samson (3) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (67) of the Rajasthan Royals opened cautiously in response. But the Royals were placed on the back foot when Samson was dismissed off the second delivery of Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first over. Early on, Jaiswal was given a lifeline by Pat Cummins’ mishandled catch at mid-off. He took advantage of this and he and Riyan Parag (77) put up an important partnership of 133 runs.
Parag and Jaiswal Put Royals in Control
The SRH bowling attack was dismantled by the combination of Jaiswal and Parag, who routinely scored boundaries. They appeared ready to easily defeat the Royals as they controlled the necessary run pace.
SRH Stage a Comeback
But in the sixteenth over, the game took a drastically different turn. Reentering the assault, Pat Cummins threw away the intimidating-appearing Parag with a slower stroke. The Royals’ mini-collapse began with this wicket, as they lost three wickets in rapid succession, including the solid Jaiswal, to tie the score.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Steals the Show in the Last Over
With 13 runs remaining in the last over, the Royals looked on Rovman Powell to lead them home. When delivering the last over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar began with a single. Powell then had the Royals needing just six runs off of three balls after he had stolen a couple of runs and hit a four.
Royals Fall Short by a Run
Powell took two more doubles to reduce the required number of runs off the final ball to two, adding to the dramatic scene. Powell attempted a leg-side flick off of Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s low full ball, but the umpire called him leg before wicket. Nevertheless, Kumar maintained his composure. The SRH camp celebrated wildly after the verdict, as they emerged victorious by a thrilling one run.
Key Performances
Nitish Reddy (SRH): After losing early wickets, the left-handed batsman grounded the SRH innings with a match-winning performance of 76* off 42 balls.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SRH): The seasoned bowler claimed three vital scalps, including the pivotal removal of Rovman Powell in the last over.
Riyan Parag (RR): The youthful all-round player gave the Royals a great start to their chase with a superb hit of 77 off 49 balls.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): With a superb 67 off 40 balls, the gifted opener laid the groundwork at the top of the order.
Post-Match Reactions
Pat Cummins (SRH Captain): “We managed to maintain our composure in the end, despite a nerve-racking finale. Kudos to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for bowling a terrific last over and Nitish Reddy for his great performance.
Sanju Samson (RR Captain): “It’s disappointing to lose from a position of strength, but SRH deserves credit for their effective final-over bowling. We must grow from our errors and improve for the upcoming game.”
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