Sunrisers Hyderabad scores thrilling win over Royal Challengers

This loss has nudged RCB ever so closer to exiting the tournament at the league stage for the second year in a row. Sunrisers, meanwhile, continued to enjoy its lead with16 points from 10 matches. 

Needing 12 runs in the last over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave away only six runs while taking the wicket of Colin de Grandhomme. In the 17th over bowled by Rashid Khan, the burly de Grandhomme slammed two sixes to give his team a good chance. But Siddharth Kaul bowled a tidy over and Bhuvneshwar did the rest. 

RCB will rue its familiar middle order wobble for this gut-wrenching defeat. Earlier, Knowing that its continuation in the tournament hinged on winning the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers cut down on their profligacy to limit the host to 146. 

For a change, everything went right for the visiting team from winning the toss to putting on a wonderful show on the field. Catches were held neatly, run-outs were effected with lightning quick speed and the bowlers bowled to the field, something that was sorely lacking in its previous matches. 

That there were only three sixes in the entire innings is indicative of how well RCB fared with the ball. RCB’s trio of pacers- Mohammed Siraj, Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav operated with zest and immaculate control that frustrated the Sunrisers batsmen. 

Southee struck the first blow removing the dangerous Alex Hales for five and the host could manage 38 runs in the Powerplay overs. Shikhar Dhawan perished trying to go for a big hit and when legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal foxed Manish Pandey in the ninth over with the team score on 48, things looked bleak for Sunrisers. The stage was set for captain Kane Williamson to once again do a rebuilding job and in southpaw Shakib Al Hasan, the kiwi found an able foil to revive the innings. 

The duo complemented each other well and added a vital 64 runs for the fourth wicket in 46 balls. Williamson struck two of the three sixes and raised his half-century in the 15th over with a single. 

The moment he got out, things went on a downhill as Sunrisers added only 34 runs losing seven wickets in the last four overs. The young Siraj, who played last season for Sunrisers, was the most impressive scalping three wickets while also being economical. 

Siraj picked up two wickets in the 19th over, ruining all plans of a late surge by the Sunrisers. Southee too brought in all his experience to play as he cleverly mixed up his pace and sensing that the pitch was on the slower side, the kiwi took the pace off the ball.