NEW DELHI: After Sunrisers Hyderabad's thrilling one-run victory over Rajasthan Royals, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy praised veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for his pivotal role in defending 13 runs in the final over, sealing the win for SRH.
Reddy expressed his confidence in Bhuvneshwar's ability to deliver in pressure situations, stating, "When I saw that Bhuvneshwar was going to bowl, I got that confidence that he was going to pull it off... During his prime, he had done it so many times."
In a display of vintage prowess, Bhuvneshwar claimed three wickets and maintained his nerve in the crucial final over, ultimately trapping a dangerous Rovman Powell lbw on the last ball to deny RR a victory.
Reflecting on his own role in the team, Reddy highlighted his responsibility to stabilize the innings after early setbacks and set the stage for explosive hitters like Heinrich Klaasen and Abdul Samad to capitalize later in the innings.
"My role is to carry on till the 13th and 14th over so that Klaasen gets a license to bang... There is no point that Klaasen and Samad are coming early, but not getting to score freely," Reddy explained.
Reddy's aggressive approach against RR spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, which included two fours and two sixes in the 13th over, showcased his confidence and ability to take on experienced bowlers.
1/10:IPL: Sunrisers Hyderabad steal one-run win as Rajasthan Royals falter
AP
2/10:Dramatic Finish
<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad stole an unlikely one-run victory over table-toppers Rajasthan Royals in a tense Indian Premier League encounter.</p>PTI
3/10:Bhuvneshwar's Brilliance
Needing two off the final ball, Rajasthan's Rovman Powell missed a full toss and was trapped in front of the wicket by SRH pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.PTI
4/10:Rajasthan's Fightback
After the early setbacks, Yashasvi Jaiswal (67 off 40) and Riyan Parag (77 off 49) scored counter-attacking fifties to rebuild the innings and RR seemed on course for a comfortable victory.ANI
5/10:Natarajan's Impact
But Jaiswal (67 off 40 balls) and Parag (77 off 49) fell in quick succession to left-arm pacer T Natarajan, setting off a collapse.AP
6/10:Cummins' Crucial Over
Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins conceded only seven runs in a miserly penultimate over to tilt the match in the home team's favour.ANI
7/10:Shaky start for Hyderabad
In their innings, Sunrisers Hyderabad made an uncharacteristically slow and shaky start with in-form opener Abhishek Sharma falling for 12 off 10 balls.PTI
8/10:Head and Reddy's Partnership
But Australia international Travis Head and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy upped the pace with a partnership of 96 runs off 47 balls.PTI
9/10:Chahal's Challenge
The duo were particularly harsh on wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who leaked 62 runs in his four overs.PTI
10/10:Klaasen's Impact
South Africa's power hitter Heinrich Klaasen then joined Reddy who remained unbeaten on 76 off 42 balls to take Hyderabad past 200 for the fifth time this season.PTICommenting on the significance of the victory, Reddy emphasized its importance in boosting SRH's confidence following recent losses to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings. "Beating RR will boost our confidence, they are at the top of the points table," he concluded.
(With inputs from ANI)
