The 50th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, saw a nail-biting finish as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) edged past Rajasthan Royals (RR) by one run.
SRH captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first. Their start, however, was far from ideal. Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh fell cheaply, leaving the host reeling at 22/2 early into the innings.
Nitish Reddy and Travis Head steadied the innings with a crucial fifty-run partnership. Head departed after a well-made 58 from 44 balls. Reddy, however, anchored the innings with a belligerent unbeaten 76 off just 42 balls. Heinrich Klaasen provided the late flourish, smashing an unbeaten 42 off 19 deliveries. The duo added a vital 50-run stand, propelling SRH to a respectable total of 201/3 – a commendable recovery from their shaky start.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar provided the Orange Army with a dream start, dismissing the dangerous Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson in his very first over. Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal counter-attacked brilliantly, stitching together a 133-run stand and keeping the Royals well in the hunt. T Natarajan provided the breakthrough for SRH, dismissing Jaiswal for 67. Cummins followed suit, removing the well-set Parag for 77.
SRH pacers displayed exceptional death bowling. Despite the visitors appearing in control at one stage, the hosts snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. With new batsmen at the crease, Natarajan and Cummins kept the pressure on, restricting the flow of runs. This tactic resulted in quick wickets of Shimron Hetmyer (13) and Dhruv Jurel (1). Rovman Powell threatened with a quickfire 27 off 15 balls, but Bhuvneshwar held his nerve, defending 13 runs in the final over to seal a dramatic one-run victory for SRH.
This win marks SRH’s fifth successful defence out of six targets in IPL 2024 and their narrowest victory by runs in IPL history.
Natarajan, with two wickets in this match, takes home the Purple Cap for leading the wicket-takers list with 15 dismissals.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was adjudged the Man of the Match for his stellar bowling performance, picking up crucial wickets in the first over and defending the last over with immense composure.
With this victory, Sunrisers Hyderabad climb to the fourth position in the points table with six wins from 10 matches. Rajasthan Royals, despite the loss, maintain their top spot with eight wins from 10 matches played.
Scorecard:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 201/3, Overs 20, Nitish Reddy 76, Avesh Khan 2/39
Rajasthan Royals: 200/7, Overs 20, Riyan Parag 77, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/41