IPL 2023: Samad’s last-ball six gives Hyderabad a dramatic four-wicket win over Rajasthan

Jaipur, May 7 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals thought they had won over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday when Sandeep Sharma had Abdul Samad holing out to long-off on the last ball of the chase, with the crowd cheering in happiness.

But immediately, the red siren rang, as replays showed Sandeep overstepping, giving Samad a life and Hyderabad, another attempt at winning the game. On the free hit delivery, Samad stayed deep in the crease to launch a six over the bowler’s head to complete a successful chase of 215, the highest-ever chase by the franchise and at the venue.

The four-wicket win also means that Hyderabad are in ninth place in the points table with eight points, while Rajasthan, who looked in control for the majority of the match, are at ten points from eleven games after being stunned by Hyderabad at home.  

Chasing 215, Hyderabad got off to a sedate start as Anmolpreet Singh and Abhishek Sharma hit eight boundaries between themselves in 5.3 overs, including a hat-trick of fours off Sandeep Sharma in the fifth over.

In a bid to break free after being beaten by Yuzvendra Chahal, Anmolpreet tried to slog-sweep a fuller delivery but holed out to deep mid-wicket in the last over of Power-play.

Against a rising required run rate, Hyderabad showed first signs of acceleration when Rahul Tripathi lofted Murugan Ashwin over long-on for six, followed by Abhishek pulling for four more, apart from sweeping Chahal for a boundary.

Abhishek got his second IPL fifty of this season in 33 balls with a one-handed swing over deep mid-wicket off Ravichandran Ashwin. But on the very next ball, he mistimed loft to short third man.

Heinrich Klaasen smashed full tosses from Murugan for two leg-side sixes, before Tripathi got to drive a full and wide ball through backward point for four in a 19-run over. After smashing Kuldip Yadav for a straight-down-the-ground four, Klaasen slog-swept Chahal for six, followed by cutting him for four more.

But the leg-spinner had the last laugh as Klassen holed out to long-off. Tripathi continued to attack by pulling Obed McCoy for six, followed by Aiden Markram getting an edge flying over the keeper for four more. But Chahal struck again as Tripathi skyed a slog-sweep to deep mid-wicket and trapped Markram plumb lbw with a googly after beating him on reverse-sweep.

With 41 runs needed off the last two overs, Glenn Phillips launched a hat-trick of sixes off Kuldip –- lifting twice over long-off, followed by heaving high over cow corner. When the pacer bowled wide, Phillips cut him, past the short third man, for four and threatened to take the match away.

But Kuldip bounced back by having Phillips mistime a slog to the fielder running in from point. With 17 needed off the final over, Samad was dropped by short third man and followed it up with a six over long-on off Sandeep.

The senior pacer had Samad caught at long-off on the last ball of the inning, only for it to be called a no-ball as the bowler overstepped. Samad finished off the chase in style with a six launched over the bowler’s head to pull off a heist for Hyderabad.   

Brief scores: 

Rajasthan Royals 214/2 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 95, Sanju Samson 66 not out; Marco Jansen 1-44) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 217/6 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 55, Rahul Tripathi 47; Yuzvendra Chahal 4-29) by four wickets

--IANS

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