IPL 2023: SRH vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders’ wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz pulled off a stunning catch behind the stumps during the SRH vs KKR match on Thursday. The Afghanistan batter, who earlier was dismissed on duck, made a big impact on the game with his crucial catch in the penultimate over. Needing 20 off 12, SRH were still in the game when youngster Vaibhav Arora was given the responsibility to bowl the 19th over. Arora got the wicket of Marco Jansen on the very first delivery to put KKR in front. Follow IPL 2023 LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
Vaibhav bowled a full delivery outside the off stump which Jansen attempted to hit to the leg side but only managed a faint inside edge. The ball flew past the wicketkeeper to the left, where Gurbaz made a remarkable catch to give KKR a chance to recover in the game.
The catch turned out to be a game-changing moment as the visitors eventually won by 5 runs to keep their Playoffs chances alive.
Earlier, after electing to bat first, KKR could not get off to a good start as they lost their top-order batsmen cheaply. However, Rinku Singh stood tall amid the wreckage and played a crucial knock of 46 off 35 balls to help KKR post a challenging total of 171 for 9.
In response, Sunrisers Hyderabad were off to a decent start but lost wickets in quick succession, thanks to some disciplined bowling by the KKR bowlers. Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen then stitched a solid partnership, which looked like it would take SRH home. But KKR’s bowlers came back strongly to restrict SRH to 166 for 8, with Varun Chakravarthy defending 9 runs in the final over.
Rinku Singh’s contribution was vital to KKR’s win as he walked out to bat in a tricky situation and played a responsible knock. His partnership with Nitish Rana helped KKR recover from the early setbacks, and he remained unbeaten till the end to take his team to a competitive total.
This win is crucial for KKR’s campaign as they move up in the IPL standings, while SRH continue to struggle in their quest for a playoff spot.
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