• Klaasen cuts loose in IPL nail-biter

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    The Sunrisers Hyderabad stole an unlikely one-run victory over the log-leading Rajasthan Royals in a tense IPL encounter on Thursday.

    Needing two off the final ball, Rajasthan’s Rovman Powell missed a full toss and was trapped in front of the wicket by India international Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

    The right-arm swing bowler, who finished with figures of 3-41, earlier undermined Rajasthan’s innings by removing star England batsman Jos Buttler and captain Sanju Samson for ducks in the first over of the chase.

    “I wasn’t thinking much about the result in the last over,” said Kumar. “There was no discussion in the last over, was just focussed on the process.”


    After the early setbacks, young Indian batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag scored counter-attacking half-centuries to rebuild the innings and Rajasthan seemed on course for a comfortable victory.

    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.

    Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins conceded only seven runs in a miserly penultimate over to tilt the match in the home team’s favour.

    “Knowing the nature of the IPL, you never win the game until you actually win the game,” said Samson.

    In their innings, Rajasthan made an uncharacteristically slow and shaky start with in-form opener Abhishek Sharma falling for 12 off 10 balls.

    Anmolpreet Singh, who followed at No 3, also failed to make an impact scoring a run-a-ball five.

    But Australian Travis Head and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy upped the pace with a partnership of 96 runs off 47 balls.

    The duo were particularly harsh on wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who leaked 62 runs in his four overs.

    Head’s crucial knock of 58 off 44 balls finally ended when he chopped one onto his stumps as he tried to scoop pacer Avesh Khan.

    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.

    WATCH: Klaasen’s late surge for Sunrisers

    © Agence France-Presse

    Photo: BCCI

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    Simon Borchardt