In a nail-biting finish at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Bhuvneshwar Kumar held his nerve to secure a dramatic 1-run win for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Rajasthan Royals in the 2024 IPL season. This win marked an end to SRH’s recent losing streak and showcased their resilience under high pressure.
The match began with SRH setting a challenging target of 201, buoyed by stellar performances from Travis Head and Nitish Reddy, who scored 58 and an unbeaten 76 respectively. Heinrich Klaasen also contributed a quick 42* off just 19 deliveries, pushing SRH to a formidable total of 201/3.
While defending their score, Bhuvneshwar Kumar made significant early breakthroughs, dismissing Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for golden ducks in the powerplay. Despite this strong start, a robust 134-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag shifted momentum back to Rajasthan, with both batsmen hitting half-centuries and challenging SRH’s bowling attack.
SRH’s comeback was initiated by T. Natarajan, who broke the critical partnership by dismissing Jaiswal for 67. Despite Parag’s continued efforts, Pat Cummins’s strategic bowling changes, including his own crucial overs, intensified the pressure. Cummins’s over saw Parag departing for 77, leaving Rajasthan needing 42 runs from the last 24 balls.
Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer launched a counter-attack, reducing the deficit significantly. However, Natarajan and Cummins bowled tight overs to swing the match once again in SRH’s favor. With 13 runs needed in the final over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar stepped up to defend the total.
The last over was a rollercoaster, with Powell hitting crucial boundaries, but Bhuvneshwar delivered a decisive low full toss on the final ball. Powell missed, was struck on the pads, and the umpire’s decision to give him out lbw sealed the thrilling victory for SRH by just one run.
This victory underscored the effectiveness of SRH’s bowling strategy and their ability to defend a total under immense pressure, leaving the home crowd ecstatic.
Brief Score: Sunrisers Hyderabad 201/3 (Nitish Reddy 76*, Travis Head 58, Heinrich Klaasen 42*; Avesh Khan 2-39) vs Rajasthan Royals 200/7 (Riyan Parag 77, Yashasvi Jaiswal 67; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-41).
