SRH heist win from Rajasthan Royals

(ESPNCRICINFO) – Just when Rajasthan Royals thought they had collected two points by defending 214, and had started to celebrate, their last-ball wicket transformed into a no-ball from Sandeep Sharma (called belatedly by the Third Umpire), and Abdul Samad smoked a straight six off the free hit to get Sunrisers Hyderabad the four more runs they needed, sparking wild celebrations in the orange camp, while the players and home fans in pink were left stunned.

Royals were well ahead of Sunrisers almost throughout the chase, with the asking rate rising and wickets falling regularly towards the end. Sunrisers, however, kept fighting back with big hits. The biggest turnaround came when they needed 41 from 12, and Glenn Phillips, in for Harry Brook, blasted three sixes and a four to reduce it to 19 off eight. The chase turned again when he fell on the next ball, and they needed 17 to win from the last over with Samad on strike.

Abdul Samad is embraced by players after he won the match with a last-ball six•May 07, 2023•BCCI

Samad was nearly caught twice in two balls, first dropped by Obed McCoy at short third, resulting in two runs, and then hitting a six just over Joe Root’s fingertips at long-on. Sandeep’s near-yorkers conceded just four off the next three, and with five to win off the last ball, Samad found long-on while attempting another straight six, and Sandeep lifted his finger in celebration. But those smiles soon disappeared, because Sandeep had overstepped, and when he re-bowled the last ball – another attempted yorker, the length off by a few inches – Samad completed Sunrisers’ heist with a successful straight six right over the bowler’s head.

Royals will rue the two dropped catches and a run-out chance in between, which meant Jos Buttler’s scintillating return to form with a 95 off 59, and Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 66 off 38 went in vain. Despite their third loss in a row and fifth loss in six games, Royals are still in fourth position on the table, but RCB, Mumbai Indians, and Punjab Kings are level with them on 10 points, and all have a game in hand. Sunrisers lifted themselves off the bottom, and pushed Delhi Capitals back to the last spot.

Brisk but not the quickest start for SRH
After dropping Mayank Agarwal and Brook, Sunrisers were off to a brisk start with quick knocks from their top three. Anmolpreet Singh opened with the in-form Abhishek Sharma, and started finding the boundaries, especially against the experienced Sandeep and R Ashwin. Abhishek joined in as well, and with three fours off Sandeep in the fifth over, Sunrisers looked set for a strong powerplay finish, except that Yuzvendra Chahal had Anmolpreet caught off a sweep for 33, and the visitors were a middling 52 for 1 after the powerplay.

SRH (seemingly) leave too much too late
Soon after the powerplay ended, the asking rate shot up over 12, but Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek started with the big hits only when they needed 142 from 11 overs.

Tripathi started with a six off M Ashwin, and Abhishek collected sixes off both Ashwins before edging to short third for 55, when attempting another big shot.

With Heinrich Klaasen promoted to No. 4 and the equation at 98 off 42, Samson gave M Ashwin a third over despite his first two going for 23, and despite having other bowling options around, and he leaked another 19 which kept Sunrisers in the game.

Yuzvendra Chahal strikes before Glenn Phillips takes charge
Samson turned to Yuzvendra Chahal, who was taken for a six and a four in the first four balls of his spell before fighting back with wicket of Klaasen for 26 off 12. With 57 to get from 24, Tripathi got a life when Samson dropped him down the leg side off McCoy, and he cashed in with a six off the next ball. In his last over, when SRH needed 44 off 18, Chahal landed the big blows when Tripathi found deep midwicket right on the boundary, and Markram missed a reverse sweep to be given lbw.

Finishing with 4 for 29 after a three-run 18th over, Chahal also went level with Dwayne Bravo for the most IPL wickets, and had almost done the job for Royals.

The steep equation of 41 from 12 – and having not batted in a match situation for more than a month – didn’t make any difference to Phillips. He belted out three sixes at the start of the 19th when Kuldip Yadav missed his yorkers, and edged one for four before another twist came in the form of Phillips’ wicket when Shimron Hetmyer completed an excellent catch running towards the boundary on the leg side.

With Sunrisers needing 17 from the last over, Samad kept going after the straight boundaries, and eventually left Royals bewildered.