In a nail-biting finish, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pulled off a stunning victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match played on Sunday. Chasing a target of 215 runs, SRH needed 17 runs off the last over bowled by Sandeep Sharma with Abdul Samad and Marco Jansen at the crease. Samad hit a six off the second ball, bringing the equation down to 5 runs from the last ball.
However, things took an unexpected turn when the bowler overstepped the line, resulting in a no-ball call. Samad hit the free-hit delivery towards the boundary where Jos Buttler took a catch, and everyone assumed that the match had ended. However, the umpire called for a ball, and the last ball was re-bowled. Samad hit a massive six off the final delivery, securing a remarkable win for his team.
The match was a high-scoring affair with RR putting up a total of 220 runs on the board after being asked to bat first. Sanju Samson, the RR captain, led from the front, scoring a magnificent century. He was well supported by his teammates, with contributions from Jos Buttler and Shivam Dube.
In response, SRH got off to a decent start with Jonny Bairstow and Manish Pandey adding 57 runs for the first wicket. However, the middle order struggled to keep up with the required run rate, and it looked like the match was slipping away from them.
Abdul Samad’s heroics in the last over helped SRH register a much-needed win, ending their three-match losing streak in the tournament. Samad’s knock of 19 runs off 8 balls was crucial in the context of the match, and he was rightly adjudged the Player of the Match.
The win keeps SRH’s hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive, while RR’s chances have taken a hit with this loss. With just a few matches left in the league stage, every win is crucial, and SRH will hope to carry this momentum forward in their next game.
