Sunrisers Hyderabad‘s Rashid Khan had a sensational day as he single-handedly secured a 14-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL Qualifier on Friday.
Sunrisers batted first and posted 174 for seven, thanks to a superlative 10-ball 34 from Afghan ace spinner Rashid, including 18 off the last over.
In reply, the Knight Riders seemed to be on course with Chris Lynn (48) steering the chase but Rashid rose to the challenge once again, snaring three top order wickets (3-19) to put the match beyond the Knight Riders. He was brilliant in the field as well, affecting a crucial run out and taking two catches in the final over.
Sunrisers thus snapped their four-match losing streak and will face Chennai Super Kings in the final, the team they lost to in Qualifier 1.
KULDEEP’S TWIN STRIKES
Kuldeep Yadav took the scalps of Dhawan and Williamson in one over. Image: BCCI.
Wriddhiman Saha and Shikhar Dhawan tried to hit their way out of trouble as Kolkata seamers Shivam Mavi and Prasidh Krishna gave almost nothing away. The wicket offered a fair amount of movement early on, which forced the openers to be more inventive.
Kolkata could have had a wicket in the third over itself when Saha skied one off Mavi but captain and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik surprisingly grassed the chance.
However, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav put an end to Sunrisers’ spirited start as he deceived Dhawan with a full delivery to have the batsman lbw with his very first ball before getting captain Kane Williamson caught behind off a googly in the same eighth over.
SPINNERS SUPERB
All three KKR spinners were on the money at the Eden Gardens. The wicket has encouraged spinners to give the ball a good rip with the ball stopping on the surface in Kolkata this season. Sunil Narine (1-24) and Kuldeep (2-29) were excellent in their four overs while Piyush Chawla did admirably as well – one for 22 from three.
No surprises that the Sunrisers were struggling at 122 for four after 16 overs.
RASHID TAKES OVER
It was another match where all-rounder Andre Russell didn’t bowl his full quota of overs. He sent down just one over, with youngsters Mavi and Krishna entrusted with the death overs.
That proved to be disastrous as Rashid smashed Mavi for two sixes in the penultimate over before tearing into Krishna. The Afghan spinner tonked the Kolkata quick for two sixes and a four as the final over went for 24, taking the total to 174 for seven.
LYNN ON TOP
The Knight Riders had won their last two games played at Eden Gardens, including the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals. Realising that the Sunrisers were low on confidence having lost four matches in a row coming into Qualifier 2, Lynn went after their famed bowling attack that had performed so well early in the tournament.
His 48 held the innings together even as wickets fell around him.
RASHID TAKES THE LEAD AGAIN
Has anyone ever had a better T20 match? 35 off 10 balls. 3 for 18, and two catches. The best strike rate, the best economy rate, and the most wickets. Rashid Khan could have parted the sea today
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) May 25, 2018
It was a brilliant day in Kolkata for Rashid. After helping Sunrisers post a challenging total, he gave a crucial breakthrough in the field by running out Nitish Rana with a strong throw from the mid wicket boundary.
He then forced Robin Uthappa to play an ungainly reverse sweep, pegging the batsman’s leg stump back. But the most important blow was Rashid’s dismissal of Lynn as he trapped the opening batsman lbw on 48.
The Afghan spin ace wasn’t done. He tied down the dangerous Russell before forcing him to cut a googly to first slip. The leg-spinner returned splendid figures of 3-19 from four overs.
If that wasn’t enough, in the final over with 19 needed for victory, Rashid showed immense composure under pressure to take two catches again on the mid-wicket fence to secure victory.
