Kolkata Knight Riders Defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad in a Thrilling IPL Match

On 5th May, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 5 runs in a thrilling match of the Indian Premier League (IPL). SRH needed 9 runs in the last over, but Varun Chakravarthy's excellent bowling skills ensured that he conceded only 3 runs and gave the win to KKR.

Match Summary

Kolkata won the toss and elected to bat first on Thursday at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. Despite losing three wickets for 35 runs in the powerplay, Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana shared a 61-run partnership to bring the team's score close to 100 runs. Kolkata scored 171 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs.

In response, Hyderabad lost 3 wickets in the powerplay itself and were struggling at 54/4 when Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram shared a 70-run partnership. However, Klaasen was dismissed in the 15th over, and captain Markram followed in the 17th. Kolkata's bowlers kept a tight leash on SRH's batsmen, conceding only 166 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs.

SRH needed 9 runs in the last over, with Abdul Samad and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar at the crease. Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Samad on the third ball after conceding 2 runs in the first 2 balls. He gave only one run in the last 3 balls, ensuring that KKR won the match by 5 runs.

Turning Points of the Match

The match had several turning points, including:

• Rinku-Rana's Partnership: After losing 3 wickets for 35 runs in the first innings, Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana shared a 61-run partnership to bring the team's score close to 100 runs.
• SRH's Powerplay: Chasing the target of 172 runs, Hyderabad lost 3 wickets in the powerplay itself. Harry Brook was also dismissed in the 7th over, and the team's score was 54/4.
• Klaasen-Markram Partnership: Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram shared a 70-run partnership from Hyderabad after Markram-Klasen lost 4 wickets. Both were taking the team closer to victory, when Klaasen was dismissed in the 15th over, and captain Markram in the 17th.
• Gurbaj's Catch, Varun's Over In the 19th over, Rahmanullah Gurbaj took a brilliant diving catch by Marco Jansen. And Varun Chakraborty defended 9 runs in the 20th over. He gave only 3 runs and gave victory to his team.

Varun Chakravarthy Saves the Day: 

The match came down to the wire, with SRH needing 9 runs in the last over. Varun Chakravarthy of KKR was given the ball, and he delivered under pressure. He conceded only 3 runs in the over, and took the crucial wicket of Abdul Samad, to secure a 5-run win.