Sunrisers Hyderabad pull off a miraculous win against Rajasthan Royals

In an exhilarating match, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, May 7th. The nail-biting finish saw Abdul Samad hit a six on the last ball to seal the deal for SRH, who kept their playoff hopes alive with this remarkable victory.

First Inning

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson won the toss and chose to bat first. Rajasthan Royals set an imposing target Opting to bat first, Rajasthan Royals openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler made a solid start, putting up 55 runs in just 4.3 overs. Jaiswal scored a quickfire 35 off 18 balls, while Buttler played a blistering knock of 95 runs off 59 balls.

Captain Sanju Samson remained unbeaten on 66 off 38 balls, helping RR post a mammoth total of 214 runs for the loss of only two wickets.

SRH’s Chase A Tough Start

Chasing a target of 215, SRH’s openers Anmolpreet Singh and Abhishek Sharma provided a steady start. However, they lost Anmolpreet early as he was caught off a sweep by Yuzvendra Chahal. SRH was 52 for 1 after the powerplay, and the asking rate had already risen above 12 runs per over.

Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma get into the act

Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma played cautiously for the next few overs, not taking any unnecessary risks. However, the required run rate was creeping up, and they needed to accelerate. Tripathi broke the shackles with a massive six off M Ashwin, and Abhishek followed suit with two consecutive sixes off both Ashwins. Abhishek was looking dangerous, but he was dismissed for a well-made 55 off 33 balls, trying to play one shot too many.

Glenn Phillips Takes Charge

SRH’s hopes were fading fast as they required 41 runs off the last 12 balls. However, Glenn Phillips had other plans. He smashed three consecutive sixes and a boundary in the 19th over, bringing the equation down to 17 runs off the last six balls.

The Thrilling Last Over

Abdul Samad and Marco Jansen collected 12 runs from the first five deliveries of the last over. Samad was on strike on the final delivery, and SRH needed five runs to win. Samad holed a catch to Jos Buttler standing at long-off, but the Sandeep Sharma delivery was declared a no-ball due to overstepping. With a boundary needed to seal the deal for the visitors, Samad smoked the final delivery for a massive six over Sandeep’s head, sparking wild celebrations in the SRH camp.

Player of the Match: Glenn Phillips

Glenn Phillips was awarded the Player of the Match for his explosive innings of 25 runs off just 7 balls, which brought SRH back into the game when all seemed lost. His three consecutive sixes and a boundary in the 19th overturned the game on its head and gave SRH a glimmer of hope in the chase.

Important Records

Highest target successfully chased by SRH: SRH’s chase of 215 runs against RR is their highest target successfully chased in the history of IPL. It is also the third-highest successful chase in IPL history.

Second-highest successful target chased in the last two overs of an IPL match: SRH’s chase of 215 runs is the second-highest successful target chased in the last two overs of an IPL match. The highest is 44 runs, achieved by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) against Chennai Super Kings in 2014.

Highest successful chase in Jaipur: SRH’s chase of 215 runs is also the highest successful chase at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Joint third-highest successful chase in the IPL: SRH’s chase of 215 runs is also the joint third-highest successful chase in the history of IPL, along with Rajasthan Royals’ chase against Deccan Chargers (now Sunrisers Hyderabad) in 2008 and Kings XI Punjab’s chase against Chennai Super Kings in 2014.

Bottom Line

Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled off one of the most dramatic wins in IPL history, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, will rue their missed opportunities, with two dropped catches and a run-out chance that cost them the match.

Despite their third loss in a row, RR remains in fourth position on the table, but they need to pull up their socks if they want to make it to the playoffs. With just a few matches left in the league stage, every match is crucial for the teams vying for a playoff spot. Meanwhile, SRH has kept their hopes alive and will look to build on this incredible win.