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While the headlines were dominated by the batting heroics of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, the foundation for Sunrisers Hyderabad's comprehensive 10 wicket win was laid much earlier by Bhuvneshwar Kumar's exceptional spell in Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, night.
On a night where other bowlers faltered, Bhuvneshwar Kumar stood tall.
His experience and mastery with the ball shone through as he single-handedly restricted LSG to their lowest-ever Powerplay score -- a paltry 27 for 2. This early stranglehold effectively stalled LSG's batting momentum and set the tone for the entire match.
Bhuvi's ability to dismantle opposing top order batters came to the fore as he dismissed Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis. His deliveries found the sweet spot, resulting in a brilliant catch for Nitish Kumar Reddy (de Kock) and a stunning diving catch by young Sanvir Singh (Stoinis).
Bhuvi's figures speak loudly: 4-0-12-2. His disciplined bowling stifled LSG's scoring, making them scurry for singles and completely shutting down their early batters.
His exceptional spell became even more crucial considering the struggles of his fellow bowlers. Captain Pat Cummins, despite grabbing a crucial wicket (K L Rahul), conceded a hefty 47 runs in his 4 overs. Others like T Natarajan (50 runs in 4 overs), Jaydev Unadkat and Shabaz Ahmed (incomplete overs) also found it difficult to contain the batters.
Bhuvi remained unfazed by his team-mates' struggles. His disciplined bowling effectively derailed the LSG innings before it could gain momentum.
He was, in essence, the catalyst that propelled SRH towards a convincing win. No need for a vote today. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is the unchallenged winner.