IPL 2024 | SRH vs LSG Recap & Key Moments of The Match

Sunrisers Hyderabad (167/0) have moved closer to the playoff spot after not only registering a key victory against Lucknow Super Giants (165/4) but also destroying the guts of their opposition in the latest match of IPL.

KL Rahul (29/33) chose to bat first after winning the toss, going against the trend. Everyone thought Lucknow would strike early advantage with the wicket’s slowness, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/12) came roaring in the powerplay. During the powerplay, Bhuvi helped Hyderabad restrict Lucknow to just 27 runs for the loss of two wickets. 

In the early stages of the game, the pitch seemed confusing when Rahul and Krunal Pandya (24/21) were batting, but Lucknow changed gears as soon as Nicolas Pooran (48/26) and Ayush Badoni (55/30) came on. The duo brought their team back into the game and lifted score which looked like finishing at 130-140 to 165 runs.

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After seeing the pitch’s slowness in the first innings, everyone thought it was going to be a tough ride for Hyderabad, but Travis Head (89/30) and Abhishek Sharma (75/28) took the whole Lucknow team to a cozy smashing. From the start, the duo looked lethal and reached 100 within powerplay. Although everyone thought Hyderabad would slow down now, they completed the chase within 10 overs without losing a wicket.

Despite being a one-sided roller coaster, the match had several pivotal moments that determined the outcome.

Bhuvnesh Kumar’s swinging spell

Everyone predicted that the pitch would be slow and spinners would have a better time, but Bhuvi had other plans. The two-time purple cap winner put on a show on how to bowl on these pitches. His first over took Quinton de Kock (2/5), and his third over removed Marcus Stoinis (3/5). Bhuvi only conceded 7 runs and took 2 wickets in his three over spell in powerplay, setting the tone for Hyderabad. 

Vijayakanth Viyaskanth’s dream debut

This game’s selection of Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (0/27) was a big shock to everyone, and it proved to be a perfect match for Cummins. After struggling in the powerplay, Lucknow tried to break the shackles and up the tempo, but Viyaskanth came to the rescue. In his first spell, he only conceded 15 runs, preventing Lucknow from scoring and yielding the wicket of Rahul from other end.

Bhuvi’s Perfect Night

Hyderabad recently relied heavily on Bhuvneshwar Kumar in attack, and his performance against Lucknow was an excellent example. With two big wickets from Kock and Stoinis, the UP-born pacer conceded only 12 runs from four overs. His best over, however, was his 17th over, which restricted Lucknow to a manageable score. Lucknow was on course to surpass 170 runs with Badoni and Pooran on the song, but Bhuvi had his Yorkers pinpoint as he only conceded 5 runs. 

Abhishek Sharma’s onslaught against Yash Thakur

With Hyderabad’s tricky surface, Sunrisers were challenged to chase 166 runs. K Gowtham (0/29) bowled the first over and only conceded eight runs, hinting how the pitch would play. Everyone anticipated Hyderabad would struggle in the powerplay until Abhishek Sharma started his engine in the second over. The Punjab batsman took Yash Thakur (0/47) to the cleaners and smacked 17 runs to kickstart the chase.

Travis Head’s charge against Naveen-ul-Haq

Sunrises Hyderabad innings looked like an epic show, which was Sharma and Head’s normal day at work. Although they were both in their zone since the start, Head’s fire with Naveen-ul-Haq (0/37) in the fifth over gave Hyderabad fans a hint that this would be a memorable night. Rahul threw a ball to Naveen to stop the onslaught, but Head sent him all over the park, accumulating 23 runs, signalling that Lucknow are out of match already.

With this big win, Sunrisers Hyderabad are on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs. With 14 points from 12 games in the table, they have boosted their run rate and now sit third. With Parimatch odds favoring them at 1.75x, they will now host Gujarat Titans in their next match. However, Lucknow’s chances have been severely dented by this crushing defeat, as they now sit in sixth with heavy negative run rates. Parimatch odds for their next game are 1.90x against Delhi Capitals.