SRH vs PBKS, IPL 2024 highlights:
Young Nitish Reddy showed great perseverance in a vital IPL match on Tuesday, scoring 64 runs off only 37 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad in a nail-biting clash against the Punjab Kings. Despite a courageous attack by Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, SRH secured a close two-run victory in a game fraught with volatility.
NEW DELHI: In a thrilling IPL encounter on Tuesday, young Nitish Reddy showed great perseverance by scoring 64 runs off only 37 balls to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad to a tight two-run win against the Punjab Kings. Despite a determined attack from Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, the match bounced back and forth.
Sent in to bat, the 20-year-old Reddy’s innings helped SRH to a score of 182/9, saving them from a hazardous position of 66 for four in the tenth over.
With 29 runs required in Jaydev Unadkat’s penultimate over, SRH faced some nerve-racking moments as they lost three catches, allowing Shashank and Ashutosh to come agonizingly close to victory yet again.
The Visakhapatnam-born Reddy, who began as a hitter at age group level before developing into a pace-bowling all-rounder, hit five sixes and four fours in his unbroken innings.
Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh (4/29) was PBKS’ best bowler, but SRH finally completed with a total that appeared implausible at one point.
Abdul Samad contributed a 12-ball 25 before Jaydev Unadkat completed the SRH innings with a last-ball six.
In response, the hosts got off to a horrible start, losing three wickets with only 20 runs on the board, one of which was skipper Shikhar Dhawan (14 off 16 balls), who was smartly caught by Heinrich Klaasen despite standing up to seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/32).
Following the early dismissals of his opening partners, Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh, Dhawan felt the strain of the run rate.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins (1/22) bowled Bairstow for a three-ball duck as he attempted to play over the line, while Bhuvneshwar sent back Prabhsimran (4) after the batsman got a leading edge while trying to move the ball on the leg side.
T Natarajan (1/33) removed Sam Curran for 22 from 29 balls after a superb catch by Cummins at mid-off.
Earlier, the match began on an exciting note, with Travis Head (21 off 15 balls) set to go out first with a clear edge.
However, the opener must thank Kagiso Rabada for extending his time in the middle, as the South African lead pacer, after thoroughly opening up Head, was unsure if he had induced an edge.
Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma rose up immediately, but Rabada did not accompany his colleague loudly enough, and the batter was given a respite when PBKS refused to review.
Replays revealed a substantial advantage, and Rabada’s performance was unusual, as he was blasted for three consecutive boundaries by Head for a 16-run third over.
Head got a thick edge for a four, the second boundary through the off-side, and then one on the rise through mid-on for his third consecutive four against Rabada.
Despite living a charmed life, Head was unable to capitalise due to PBKS captain Shikhar Dhawan, who sprinted back and kept his eyes on the ball to execute an amazing catch, followed by his characteristic thigh-slap celebration.
It was a significant breakthrough for PBKS, and their skipper was thrilled, as was bowler Arshdeep Singh, who benefited from Dhawan’s judgment and agility.
Aiden Markram was walking back to the dugout for a duck after edging an Arshdeep delivery to Jitesh.
Abhishek Sharma, who had just smashed Sam Curran for a six and a four, fell to the English all-rounder’s next delivery as he came down the wicket looking for another big one. He mistimed and Shashank Singh held on.
A good catch left SRH at 39/3 in the fifth over.
The power play produced only 40 runs for the cost of three wickets as PBKS dominated the visitors, forcing
SRH changed their plans and sent Rahul Tripathi as an impact sub, replacing Head.
Tripathi (11 off 14 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen (9 in 9 balls) failed to get going, leaving SRH tottering on 100.
For five at the start of the fourteenth over.
The onus was then on Reddy to bail the squad out, and the youngster did it with ease, picking 22.
Harpreet Brar’s overs lifted his side, and Samad added 50 runs quickly.
