Bhuvneshwar Kumar held his nerve in a pressure situation, while Pat Cummins struck vital blows to help Sunrisers Hyderabad clinch a narrow one-run victory against the Rajasthan Royals.
Defending 201 was not an easy task against the Royals' strong batting line-up but Bhuvneshwar's early strikes coupled with good spells from Cummins and Thangarasu Natarjan in the middle overs saw the hosts bounce back to clinch victory against all odds.
SRH vs RR: A look at the best spells
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvi bowled a superb final over to help SRH clinch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The veteran pacer worked his magic with the new ball as he delivered a double blow in the opening over. He struck early getting Jos Buttler caught in the slips for a duck, with some wonderful away swing to account for the England opener.
Three balls later, he produced a cracking inswinger to bowl Sanju Samson through the gate for a duck.
He went for 29 runs in his next over but was assigned the difficult task of bowling the final over with 13 needed for victory.
After Ravichandran Ashwin picked a single off the first ball, Rovman Powell did well to keep the runs coming as he hit the next for two runs followed by a boundary through fine leg.
The West Indian did well to collect two runs each off the next two balls.
With two needed from the final ball, Bhuvi held his nerve. He looked to bowl full and straight as he ended up dishing out a full toss.
To Royals' horror, the well-set Powell missed out on the full toss looking to flick and was caught plumb in front. He took the review but to no avail as the impact was in line and the ball going on to hit the stumps.
Bhuvi conceded 11 runs in the final over to finish with 3/41 in his four overs -- with his first and fourth over proving to be crucial in the final analysis.
Thangarasu Natarajan
Natarajan must consider himself unlucky not to have been picked for the T20 World Cup.
After struggling with injuries last season, Natarajan seems to be back at his best. He is currently the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2024, with 15 wickets from eight games, picking up a wicket in every game he has played this season.
The left-arm pacer didn't enjoy a good start to his spell, getting hit for two boundaries in his opening over.
He should have got Riyan Parag, who was dropped by Abhishek Sharma at extra cover, who dove to his right but could not hold onto a sharp chance.
Natarajan made an impact in the middle overs when he broke the dangerous partnership between Jaiswal and Parag. Jaiswal walked across to scoop the pacer but only ended up deflecting the ball back onto the stumps.
That wicket affected the Royals' momentum and a few overs when Parag also departed, SRH were firmly back in the contest.
Natarajan returned to bowl the 18th over when he made another crucial strike. The dangerous Shimron Hetmyer had slammed him for a six but he got revenge as the West Indian mistimed a full toss and was caught at long on for 13.
Natarajan impressed with the ball as he claimed 2/35 in four overs.
Pat Cummins
Cummins enjoys captaincy! Like a true leader, he loves to take on a challenge and never shies away from responsibility.
This season, he has been at the forefront with the ball for SRH often coming in to bowl at difficult times and has been rewarded with 12 wickets in 10 games.
Under him, SRH have enjoyed a good run in the league stages and look set to make their first play-offs in four years.
Cummins went for runs in the Powerplay with Jaiswal hitting him for a couple of fours and a six in the fifth over. After giving away 22 runs in two overs, Cummins bounced back strongly with Parag's wicket in the 16th over, getting the right-hander caught at long on for 77.
That wicket proved to be the turning point as it resulted in the Royals' losing their way.
Cummins then got Dhruv Jurel caught at deep square leg for one in the 19th over in which he gave away just seven runs. His spell of 2/34 in four overs made a crucial impact in the final outcome.
Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan proved formidable(2/39), consistently executing wide yorkers with precision.
He clinched crucial wickets, initiating the breakthrough by dismissing Abhishek Sharma (12) caught in the deep. Sharma's mistimed pull found Dhruv Jurel at deep square leg, setting the tone for Avesh's impactful spell.
His next victim was Travis Head (58), who fell to a well-directed full delivery outside off, playing onto his stumps while attempting a lap shot.
Head's departure halted a crucial partnership, providing Rajasthan with a much-needed breakthrough.
Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep Sharma (1/31) demonstrated his mettle throughout the match.
He struck immediately, claiming a crucial first-ball wicket by dismissing Anmolpreet Singh (5) in the Powerplay, which marked SRH's lowest Powerplay score this IPL.
Sandeep's overpitched delivery on the stumps enticed Anmolpreet into a flick shot. However, the batsman failed to keep it grounded, resulting in a catch for Jaiswal at midwicket.
Sandeep's early breakthrough set the tone for an impressive bowling performance, showcasing his skill and strategic execution.
SRH vs RR: Who Bowled The Best Spell? Vote!
Photographs: BCCI
