Twitter Reactions: Sunrisers Hyderabad pull off massive upset in dramatic last-ball thriller against Rajasthan Royals
Abdul Samad smashed a six off the final delivery to seal a famous victory for the Orange Army.
A jam-packed Sawai Mansingh Stadium was left shell-shocked after Abdul Samad smashed a six off the last ball of the match to seal a dramatic victory for the Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals. The home side were the better side for much of the game, only to lose the plot in the final two overs of the match.
Chasing a record total, the visitors made a decent start in the powerplay, thanks to Anmolpreet Singh's breezy innings. But the 25-year-old batter's dismissal saw the Rajasthan bowlers slip in a few quiet overs, exerting pressure on the Orange Army.
But the visitors replied with a brisk partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi to breathe life into the contest. The young Indian opener put down his foot on the accelerator, smashing a fifty off just 33 deliveries. However, he perished at the very next ball to dampen the spirits in the Sunrisers' camp.
While an in-form Heinrich Klaasen threatened the home side with an explosive cameo, it was Rahul Tripathi who was looking in ominous touch in the middle. But the game turned once again in the favour of the home side when the canny Yuzvendra Chahal got rid of both the set batters, along with Aiden Markram, in successive overs.
SRH were seemingly done and dusted after Markram's demise, but there was yet another twist in the tale as the incoming Glenn Phillips turned the tables with a sensational cameo. Needing five off the final delivery of the match, Rajasthan's veteran Indian pacer committed the cardinal sin of bowling a no-ball. Abdul Samad took full advantage of that blemish by smashing the resulting free hit for a six to seal a famous victory for the Orange Army.
A rejuvenated Jos Buttler puts the SRH bowlers to the sword
Earlier in the match, it was the home side who won the toss and decided to bat first on a relatively flat surface in Jaipur. Sanju Samson's side were quick off the blocks as young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal continued his scorching form with the bat in the powerplay. Although he was dismissed in the penultimate over of the field restrictions, the home side were comfortably placed in the driver's seat.
Rajasthan's influential English opener Jos Buttler, who was slow to begin with, upped the ante against SRH bowlers after the conclusion of the powerplay. He was really severe against anything short and regained his confidence as the innings progressed. His brilliant half-century in a magnificent 138-run stand with skipper Sanju Samson saw the home side dominate the middle overs.
Meanwhile, Samson also shrugged off his rustiness with a brisk half-century, continuing Rajasthan's assault against the visitors. Unfortunately, the English white-ball skipper was trapped in front by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the penultimate over of the first innings, missing out on a deserved century by just five runs. Despite that wicket, the home side finished on a high, thanks to Samson's 38-ball 66.
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