Dubai: Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan turned into a superstar in the second qualifier by lifting Sunrisers Hyderabad into the final of the Indian Premier League as Kolkata Knight Riders lost by 13 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
This 19-year-old from Jalalabad, who was declared man-of-the match, batted brilliantly in front of 63,484 spectators to crack an unbeaten 34 off just 10 balls with four sixes and two boundaries to give Hyderabad a fighting total. He then bowled brilliantly to take three vital wickets for 19 runs, ran out Nitish Rana at a crucial stage of the match and took two vital catches in the last over.
Hyderabad will take on Chennai Super Kings in the final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium tomorrow.
Thanks to Khan, Hyderabad could post 174 for 7 despite Kolkata’s tight bowling which ensured all their top batsmen struggled to get runs. His knock helped Hyderabad post 50 runs off the final three overs.
Chasing the target, Kolkata were restricted to 161 for 9 despite opener Sunil Narine giving a breezy start by hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for three boundaries and a six to get 19 runs off the third over.
Siddarth Kaul ended Narine’s knock of 26 runs from 13 balls by having him caught at mid-off by Carlos Brathwaite. Next man Nitish Rana hit Khaleel Ahmed for two sixes in the fifth over. Lynn too hit Kaul for a six as Kolkata raced to 67 for 1 in the first six overs. Rana and Lynn put on 47 runs in 5.1 overs when Rana was brilliantly run out through a brilliant throw from Rashid Khan at mid-wicket for 22 runs.
Kolkata needed 82 runs off the last 10 overs when Rashid Khan bowled Robin Uthappa. Shakib Al Hasan then took the prized wicket of skipper Dinesh Karthik for 8 while Khan trapped Lynn leg before for 48.
Khan then completely tilted the match in Hyderabad’s favour by having dangerman Andre Russell caught at slip by Dhawan for 3. Shubman Gill and Piyush Chawla put on some resistance in the final overs, but it was never going to be enough.
Kolkata elects to field
Earlier, Kolkata won the toss and elected to field. Nineteen-year-old pacer Shivam Mavi opened the bowling and gave away just four runs. The first aggressive shot of the match came when Dhawan flicked Prasidh Krishna over the square leg boundary for a six in the second over.
Sunrisers’ opener Wriddhiman Saha escaped being caught on five by wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. Saha and Dhawan recorded a
50-run partnership in 6.3 overs.
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav struck with the first ball of his first over by trapping Dhawan leg before for 34. It ended the 56-run opening wicket partnership. With the fifth ball of that over, Yadav picked the prize wicket of Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson, who failed to read the googly and edged to wicketkeeper Karthik for 3.
Shakib joined Saha, who kept picking the gaps well. At the half way mark, Hyderabad were 79 for 2. Chawla struck in the 11th over by having Saha on 35 stumped by Karthik. Shakib beat the long off fielder to get a boundary off Chawla and Hyderbad reached the 100-run mark in the 14th over.
Hyderabad needed some big hits in the last five overs, but Shakib got run out for 28 when Yadav got his fingertips on the ball that crashed on to the stumps off a straight drive from Deepak Hooda.
Narine then got Hooda out for 19 forcing him to reverse sweep into the hands of Chawla at point.
Hyderabad needed some big hits from Yusuf Pathan and Carlos Brathwaite, two of the finest hard-hitters in the game. Brathwaite hit Krishna for a six over long on, but a brilliant pick up and thrown by Rana from third man ended Brathwaite’s knock of eight runs.
Pathan too ended up being caught by Chawla off Mavi for only three runs. Khan then hit Mavi for two sixes in the 19th over to take the score past the 150 run mark.
Brief scores
Sunrisers Hyderabad bt Kolkata Knight Riders by 13 runs
Sunrisers Hyderabad 174 for 7 in 20 overs (Wriddhiman Saha 35, Shikhar Dhawan 34, Shakib Al Hasan 28, Rashid Khan 34n.o, Kuldeep Yadav 2 for 29)
Kolkata Knight Riders (Chris Lynn , Sunil Narine 26, Nitish Rana 22, Shubhman Gill 30, Rashid Khan 3 for 19).
