IPL 2024– In a tense showdown at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) clinched a nail-biting victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) by a slender margin of just two runs.
The match was a rollercoaster of thrilling moments, showcasing an impressive display of skill and determination from both teams.
PBKS, electing to field first after winning the toss, made a strong start by taking early wickets of Travis Head, Aiden Markram, and Abhishek Sharma within the Powerplay.
Travis Head had a stroke of luck surviving a close call for a caught behind off Rabada’s delivery. Despite the early setbacks, SRH rallied behind Nitish Kumar Reddy’s exceptional innings of 64 runs from 37 balls, featuring four boundaries and five sixes.
Reddy’s partnership with Abdul Samad, who contributed a brisk 25 runs from 12 balls, propelled SRH to a competitive total of 182/9, after a shaky start at 39/3. Their rapid 50-run partnership off just 20 balls injected momentum into SRH’s innings.
In reply, PBKS faced early setbacks, losing three crucial wickets within the Powerplay, including that of their skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Despite this, Shashank Singh’s unbeaten 46 off 25 balls and Ashutosh Sharma’s 33 off 15 threatened SRH’s dominance.
With 29 runs needed off the final over, the match reached its climax as Jaydev Unadkat remained composed amid a barrage of boundaries from PBKS batsmen.
However, despite a late surge, PBKS fell just short of the target, finishing with 180/7 in their allotted overs.
SRH’s bowling unit, led by Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, exhibited remarkable accuracy in the initial overs, securing vital breakthroughs to keep PBKS under pressure.
Despite a spirited comeback from PBKS towards the end, SRH kept their nerve to secure a thrilling victory.
With this hard-fought win, Sunrisers Hyderabad underscores their resilience in the ongoing tournament, while Punjab Kings will be aiming to regroup and come back stronger in their upcoming matches.
