NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hosted Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday evening in the third match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The encounter reached a crescendo when
Suyash Sharma
, with a breathtaking display of athleticism, secured the match-defining catch of the dangerous
Heinrich Klaasen
in the final over, leading his team to victory.
KKR set a formidable target of 209 runs, courtesy of
Phil Salt
‘s explosive 40-ball 54 and
Andre Russell
‘s blistering unbeaten 64 off just 25 deliveries.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, in response, faced a daunting task. All eyes were on Klaasen, who came to bat for SRH when the away side was in big trouble following the flurry of wickets.
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Klaasen caused concern for the hosts as he capitalised on
Varun Chakaravarthy
‘s final over, scoring 21 runs on his way to a brisk 63 off just 29 balls. Klaasen, alongside Shahbaz Ahmed, intensified their assault on Mitchell Starc, pummeling him for 26 runs in the penultimate over.
Despite SRH needing 60 runs from the last three overs, they managed to narrow the equation down to 13 runs required off the final over. Klaasen had to depart on the penultimate ball of the innings following a super solo effort by the 20-year-old.
Sharma executed a superb catch while moving backward from the position of short third man to dismiss Klaasen. The delivery by
Harshit Rana
, a full-paced off-break, enticed Klaasen into attempting a hefty slog once more. However, Klaasen’s shot resulted in a leading edge that propelled the ball over the infield.
Despite this, the impact player, brought in the place of Ramandeep Singh, displaying impressive reflexes, promptly retreated, composed himself, and executed a flawless dive to secure the catch. It was Rana’s nerveless display in the crucial last over that ensured KKR’s thrilling victory, earning them two vital points in this pulsating encounter.
