En route finals, SRH were to take on KKR. KKR had won the last 4 matches they had played and on the other hand SRH were coming to the semifinals losing the 4 matches. The stage was set for an exciting game of cricket.
KKR, after winning the toss, elected to bat first. SRH openers gave a good start to the team before Kuldeep dismissed Dhawan. After the dismissal of Dhawan, it seemed the tiger had tasted blood. KKR spinners dominated the game till the 18th over of the game. None of the Sunrisers played with the responsibility to take the team to a decent total. The scoreboard displayed 134-6 with 2.1 overs left. Came in Rashid Khan, and played the cameo of his life. He looked in sublime touch and impossible to stop. With the help of 4 massive sixes and 2 cracking fours he made game-changing 34 off 10 and put above par score of 174 on the board. This inning was an indication that it was his day, no one else’s.
The momentum took a shift, Sunrisers who have the habit of clinching low scorer from the opposition had 174 to defend.
But as soon as the first few overs of the second inning were bowled, Lynn and Narine put SRH on back-foot. The ball was being hit all over the park and the giant SRH bowling looked helpless in front of the openers. Narine gave a regulation catch to Brathwaite of Kaul’s knuckle delivery. Nitish Rana and Lynn batted comfortably for few overs and were slowly taking the game away from SRH.
First, Rashid ran Rana out with a bullet throw from the sleeping area. That was it then, the Rashid Khan show was going to become even mad. He bowled Uthappa out, took Gill’s catch at the midwicket, dismissed the fire-power Russel at slips, and again caught Mavi at the deep. He dismantled the KKR and provided the pacers a stage from where they could finish the game easily. And that’s what they did.