SRH
The SRH kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a three-run victory against MI.
Umran Malik’s three-wicket haul helped SRH upset MI by three runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad kept their modest IPL playoff chances alive with a three-run win against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, thanks to Rahul Tripathi’s aggressive batting and Umran Malik’s speed. Sunrisers Hyderabad reached a daunting 193 for six as Tripathi struck 76 off 44 balls. Priyam Garg (42) and Nicholas Pooran (42) ably supported him (38). The seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/26 off 4) took a wicket maiden in the critical 19th over to halt MI at 190 for seven despite the best efforts of Rohit Sharma (48), Ishan Kishan (43), and Tim David (46).
On paper, the victory keeps SRH in the playoff race, moving them up to 12 points. They must win their final game and hope that other outcomes go their way.
Rohit was at his easy best when chasing 194 and seemed ready for a huge score. He got Mumbai’s chase off to a good start with Kishan, with whom he shared a 95-run opening partnership.
The two scored 17 runs in Malik’s ninth over, despite the pacer throwing two no-balls and a wide.
However, Kane Williamson’s choice to bowl Washington Sundar (1/36) paid rewards two overs later, when Rohit holed out to Jagadeesha Suchith in the deep.
Kishan, who seemed uneasy facing Malik’s short balls, followed his skipper in the following over as the Jammu pacer redeemed himself after a poor first over. Priyam Garg completed a stunning catch at mid-on after spearing the ball at the stumps from around the wicket.
Malik bowled another bouncer, forcing Daniel Sams to pull, and the combination delivered another breakthrough. Garg leaped high over his head, arms fully spread, to clinch a spectacular catch at midwicket.
With 44 required off 18, Mumbai’s big-hitting David raced away to 46 off 18 balls, keeping Mumbai’s hopes of a fourth win this season alive.
David blasted four sixes off T Natarajan’s 18th over, including a monster 114m shot, to reduce the equation to 19 from 12. Natarajan (0/60) was able to redeem himself off the penultimate ball as David was run out.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced a wicket-maiden in the 19th over to swing the game back in SRH’s favor.
Earlier, Tripathi, who hit his third half-century of the season with nine fours and three sixes, laid the groundwork for a remarkable knock.
When called upon to bat, the Sunrisers’ risk of batting Garg at the top of the order paid off. Following the dismissal of the in-form Abhishek Sharma (9) in the third over, the 21-year-old played a brilliant inning and shared a 78-run partnership with Tripathi.
Garg, who was dropped on 10, took full advantage of his reprieve, smashing the ball four times to the fence and twice over it in his 26-ball knock.
Tripathi, on the other hand, appeared to be in his element. In the fifth over, he smashed Jasprit Bumrah (1/32) for a six and back-to-back fours.
When Garg was caught and bowled by medium bowler Ramandeep Singh (3/20), Pooran was promoted to No. 3.
In the 13th over, the flamboyant left-hander blasted two successive sixes over long-on and deep backward square off Riley Merdith (1/44), before whacking Mayank Markande (0/31) for a boundary and a maximum.
The MI bowlers, inspired by Ramndeep, staged a mini-comeback, dismissing Pooran, Tripathi, and Aiden Markram (2) in the space of eight balls.
Batting down the order, skipper Kane Williamson (8 not out) continued to struggle as he was unable to get the big strokes going.
The Sunrisers, who were on course for a 200-plus total, could only manage one boundary in the final two overs, yielding 19 runs.
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