IPL 2023: Abdul Samad's final-ball SIX breaks RR's hearts as SRH steals one by 4 wickets, fans jubilant
IPL 2023: SunRisers Hyderabad surpassed Rajasthan Royals by taming it by four wickets in Jaipur on Sunday. Abdul Samad's final-ball SIX, aided by Abhishek Sharma's 55, played pivotal roles in the victory, while fans were jubilant.
FollowIt was another anti-climatic finish, as former champion SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) snatched success from the jaws of defeat against fellow former champion Rajasthan Royals (RR) by four wickets in Match 52 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday. While Abdul Samad hit the winning SIX off the terminal delivery, opener Abhishek Sharma's 55 set the stage for the miraculous finish, sending the fans into a jubilant mood.
After winning the coin toss, RR opted to defend the target, as openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) and Jos Buttler (95) put on 54 before the former departed to pacer Marco Jansen in the fifth over of the PowerPlay (PP). Meanwhile, Buttler and skipper Jos Buttler (66*) continued with the momentum and added 128 for the second wicket.
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During this partnership, while Buttler struck his 19th IPL 50, Samson brought up his 20th before senior seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke the stand in the 19th after the former was trapped leg-before. Eventually, Rajasthan finished on a convincing total of 214/2, indicating that it was a good pitch to bat on, while it was its highest IPL score at home.
For SRH, besides the two wicket-takers, spinner Abhishek Sharma was economical. Before beginning the chase, it brought opener Anmolpreet Singh for pacer T Natarajan. The openers Anmolpreet (33) and Abhishek (55) started convincingly, putting on 51 before the former fell prey to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the sixth over of the PP.
However, Hyderabad also banked on its excellent start, as Abhishek and Rahul Tripathi (47) added 65 for the second wicket to keep up with the required rate. While the former slammed his fourth IPL half-century, he was sent packing by veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the 13th. Nevertheless, Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen (26) refused to slow down and keep the run rate ticking.
However, the Royals bowled somewhat tight, while after a 41-run stand between the two, Klaasen was dismissed by Chahal in the 16th, at 157/3. Thereon, the hosts tightened the screws, as the SunRisers lost regular wickets and were down to 196/6 by the 19th. With 17 needed off the final six deliveries, pacer Sandeep Sharma brought the equation down to five off the last ball only to overstep for a no-ball, as the resulting Free-Hit saw Abdul Samad (17*) hammer it flat over the bowler's head for a SIX to get the job done by four wickets in an anti-climax situation. For the hosts, Chahal clasped four, whereas he also was economical, while both teams stayed alive in the playoffs race.
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