IPL 2021: SRH seal a narrow four-run win over RCB

By IANS

ABU DHABI: Sunrisers Hyderabad sealed a narrow four-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Match 52 of the IPL 2021 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium here on Wednesday. Hyderabad defended 142 against a Bangalore batting line-up which threatened briefly to chase down the target.

Bangalore were given an early jolt with Bhuvneshwar Kumar trapping Virat Kohli in front with an incoming delivery in the first over. Daniel Christian’s promotion to three backfired as he chipped a catch to mid-off off Siddarth Kaul. KS Bharat slammed two boundaries before falling to gloving behind off Umran Malik in the seventh over.

Rashid Khan’s first ball to Glenn Maxwell was hoicked over deep mid-wicket in the eighth over. When Khan returned for his next over, Maxwell took on him again, slog-sweeping over long-on for a six followed by a wristy sweep through deep mid-wicket. In between, Malik was beating Maxwell for pace.

Maxwell’s partnership of 54 with Devdutt Padikkal ended in the 15th over as a direct hit from a sliding Kane Williamson at cover caught the right-hander short of his crease while taking a quick single. Padikkal’s painstaking struggle to break free ended when he holed out to deep mid-wicket off Khan in the 17th over.

Shahbaz Ahmed took eleven off Malik in the 18th over, including two boundaries, to bring the equation to 18 runs in the last two overs. Ahmed was dropped by Kumar at long-on in the start of the 19th over but pulled straight to mid-wicket on the fourth ball off Jason Holder.

With 13 needed off the final over, AB de Villiers slammed a six straight down the ground off Kumar. But Kumar conceded just one run off the final ball to give Hyderabad a slim win.

Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 141/7 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 44, Kane Williamson 31, Harshal Patel 3/33, Daniel Christian 2/14) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 137/6 in 20 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 41, Glenn Maxwell 40, Umran Malik 1/21, Siddarth Kaul 1/24) by four runs.