Bhuvneshwar Kumar turned out to be the hero, putting the large blows when it mattered most, to assist Sunrisers Hyderabad pull off a sensational one-run win over table-topper Rajasthan Royals, in an IPL match on the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium right here on Thursday.
With 13 runs wanted off the final over bowled by Bhuvneshwar, the match got here down to 2 runs off the final ball. He trapped the big-hitting Rovman Powell leg-before to set off celebrations within the stands and within the group’s dug out.
Earlier, Bhuvneshwar produced a dream first over, sending again Impact Player Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for geese to make an early dent to Royals’ hopes, who had been chasing 202 for a win.
But the guests stayed within the hunt when the younger weapons Yashasvi Jaiswal (67, 40b, 7×4, 2×6) and Riyan Parag (77, 49b, 8×4, 4×6) placed on 134 off 82 balls by treating the bowlers with contempt and taking part in strokes everywhere in the park.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins’ third and fourth overs, throughout which he picked up the wickets of Parag and Dhruv Jurel with out being costly, put the house group again within the hunt.
Earlier, the in-form opener Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh fell cheaply as the house group scored simply 37 for 2 within the PowerPlay in opposition to a disciplined Royals bowling assault. Travis Head, who scored 18 runs off 17 balls within the first six overs, was fortunate to outlive when a slash off the primary ball of the innings from Trent Boult simply flew previous Parag at backward level.
Soon the left-hander switched gears, and within the firm of the free-stroking Nitish Kumar Reddy (76 not out, 42b, 3×4, 8×6), pulled and lofted leggie Yuzvendra Chahal for 2 sixes within the ninth over.
Later, Nitish hit two enormous sixes and a 4 in Chahal’s third over after which one over extra-cover off pacer Sandeep Sharma to indicate his class.
Nitish’s two essential stands — 96 (57 balls) with Head (58, 44b, 6×4, 3×6) for the third wicket and an unbeaten 70 with Heinrich Klaasen (42 not out, 19b, 3×4, 3×6) — noticed Sunrisers come again strongly and breach the 200-run mark.
Source: www.thehindu.com