With 34 runs need off the last 30 balls, Sunrisers Hyderabad seemed on-track as their chased Rajasthan Royals’ 198 for 2 on Friday, 29 March.
Shreyas Goyal then turned things around as he picked two wickets in the 16th over, leaving Hyderabad at 169/5 – still needing 30 off 24 balls.
Yusuf Pathan and Rashid Khan however, made sure that spectators at the Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium didn’t go home disappointed.
Khan smashed a four and then a six in the last two balls of the 19th over as the hosts crossed the line with 6 balls remaining, to complete their highest-ever successful chase in the Indian Premier League.
And hence, Sanju Samson's second IPL ton went in vain as David Warner's blistering fifty helped the Sunrisers Hyderabad register their first win this season.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals to register their maiden win in 2019 Indian Premier League on Friday, 29 March.
- Sanju Samson scored this season’s first century as RR posted 198/2 in their 20 overs.
- Openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow’s 110-run stand helped Sunrisers complete their highest run-chase in the IPL.
Rajasthan Royals’ Innings
Samson smashed the first century of the ongoing IPL and together with skipper Ajinkya Rahane stitched a century stand to guide Rajasthan to a mammoth total.
Samson remained unbeaten on 102 that came off just 55 balls with the help of 10 fours and four sixes. It was Samson's second IPL ton, with the first – also a score of 102 – coming in 2017.
Rahane too led from the front with 49-ball 70 and together with Samson shared 119 runs for the second wicket to set the base for the total.
Introduced into the attack in the fourth over, Rashid (1/24) struck with only his second ball, cleaning up Jos Buttler around his legs.
Rajasthan's decision to bat first didn't go according to plan, at least, in the powerplay as the visitors struggled against Sunrisers' disciplined bowling to garner just 35 runs.
After Buttler's dismissal, skipper Rahane was joined at the crease by Samson and the duo played cautiously without taking any undue risk to take Rajasthan forward.
While Rahane played the anchor's role, Samson opened up his arms soon and smashed two sixes in consecutive overs of Shabaz Nadeem and Siddharth Kaul to give some momentum to Rajasthan's innings.
Rahane soon joined his junior colleague and clobbered Nadeem straight over his head as Rajasthan reached 75 for one at the halfway stage.
Rahane registered his first fifty of the ongoing IPL in 38 balls while Samson brought up his half-century in 34 deliveries as the duo raised 100-run stand for the second wicket in 65 balls.
Rahane finally departed in the 16th over bowled by Nadeem, holed out by Manish Pandey at long-on as he went for a big shot. He struck four boundaries and three sixes.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's torrid time at the death overs continued. If it was Andre Russell in the last match, it was Samson Friday as the young Kerala batsman too the senior pacer to cleaners, hitting him for four boundaries and one six to pick up 24 runs in the 18th over.
As if that was not enough, Bhuvneshwar witnessed yet another forgettable day as he leaked 21 runs in the last over.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Innings
Chasing a mammoth 199-run target, Warner set up the platform for Sunrisers with a breezy 69 off 37 balls and together with Jonny Bairstow (45 off 28) added a century stand for the opening wicket to spoil Rajasthan's day.
Chasing the total, Warner looked in imperious form as he started clobbering the Rajasthan bowlers from the word go.
Sensing the demand of the situation, Warner, who hit 85 against Kolkata Knight Riders in a losing cause in their opener, went hammer and tongs from the beginning and struck fours and sixes at will to propel Sunrisers to 54 for no loss after five overs.
Together with Bairstow, Warner shared 110 runs in just 58 balls for the opening stand.
But just when it seemed Warner would run away with the game, Ben Stokes foxed him with a perfect short ball as he was holed out by Dhawal Kulkarni at deep fine leg.
Warner's knock was studded with nine fours and two sixes.
It would have been double blow for Sunrisers but Kulkarni dropped Bairstow at thirdman a ball later.
But Kulkarni made up for his mistake in the final ball of the next over, latching on to a fine catch at the long-off to sent Bairstow packing.
Skipper Kane Williamson (14) and Vijay Shankar (35 off 15) played aggressively to bring down the equation within reach but three quick wickets, that too in consecutive balls of Shreyas Gopal (3/27) in the 16th over, changed the complexion of the game.
But Yusuf Pathan (16 not out) and Rashid Khan (15 not out) played sensibly to overwhelm the target with ease.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)