Kolkata, News Agency : Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR vs SRH) secured a thrilling 4-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a last-ball thriller. Chasing KKR's 208, Hyderabad's run rate was very low at the start. They needed 76 runs off the last 24 balls to win. From here onwards, Heinrich Klaasen and Shahbaz Ahmed took the KKR bowling feathers and left the team on the brink of victory. With an easy challenge of scoring 7 runs in the last five balls, the bet turned around.
Bowler Harshit Rana bowled smartly and dismissed both Shahbaz Ahmed and Klaasen to win the match for KKR. When Hyderabad needed a six off the last ball, captain Pat Cummins, who was brought into the team at a cost of crores, did not even hit the ball. Klaassen scored 63 runs off 29 balls with a classic innings. Ahmed scored 16 runs in 5 balls. Their innings stopped at 204 for 7 in 20 overs.
Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl first. His decision seemed to be paying off at first; But a storm called Russell upset Cummins' calculations. Russell's 64 off 25 balls helped KKR set Hyderabad a tough challenge of 209 for victory.
Phil Salt (54) and Ramandeep Singh played a brilliant innings for KKR. Then Andre Russell's storm washed away the Hyderabad bowlers. Phil Salt (54) scored for KKR, while Sunil Narine (2), Venkatesh Iyer (7), Shreyas Iyer (0), Nitish Rana (9), Ramandeep Singh (35), Rinku Singh (23) and Andre Russell made 64 not out. Scored. KKR scored 208 for 7 in the allotted 20 overs. Russell hit 64 runs in 25 balls with the help of 7 sixes and 3 fours.
Andre Russell completed his half-century with the help of six sixes in just 20 balls. No bowler from Hyderabad could survive against his stormy innings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar scored the most runs for Hyderabad. He could not take a single victim. Bhuvi scored 51 runs in his allotted 4 overs, while Marco Jansen (40), Pat Cummins (32), Mayank Markandey (39) and Natarajan (32) contributed.
Brief Scoreboard (KKR vs SRH)
Kolkata Knight Riders: 208 for 7 in 20 overs. (Phil Salt 54, Andre Russell 64 not out, Randeep Singh 35. T. Natarajan 3/32.)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 204 for 7 in 20 overs. (Mayank Agarwal 32, Abhishek Sharma 32, Heinrich Klaasen 63. Harshit Rana 3/33, Andre Russell 2/25.)
