In a thrilling 2024 Indian Premier League encounter on Tuesday, young Nitish Reddy displayed remarkable composure and skill, scoring a crucial 64 off just 37 balls to propel Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to a dramatic two-run win over the Punjab Kings. Thanks to Reddy’s knock, SRH posted a competitive total of 182/9 after the home side was left struggling at 66 for four in the 10th over.
PBKS responded valiantly with a spirited chase, driven by Shashank Singh (46 not out off 25 balls) and Ashutosh Sharma (33 not out off 15 balls), who combined forces in a dynamic 66-run partnership. The match witnessed a tense finish as PBKS came within striking distance of victory, needing 29 runs from the final over bowled by Jaydev Unadkat. Despite a valiant effort by the duo, PBKS fell short by a narrow margin, ending their innings at 180/6.
Also read 29 to defend off last over, 3 catches dropped: How SRH managed to secure dramatic 2-run win over PBKS
The win for SRH was their third of the season and second in succession; the side made an impressive start to the tournament but faced a narrow four-run defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders despite a mammoth 209-run target. Pat Cummins’ men, then, broke the record for the highest total in IPL history, smashing 277/3 in 20 overs against the Mumbai Indians.
After a loss to the Gujarat Titans, SRH registered successive wins against CSK (by six wickets) and the PBKS on Tuesday.
The Kings, meanwhile, endured yet another inconsistent start to the season. This was their third loss in five matches and came on the back of a stunning comeback win against last year’s finalists, Gujarat Titans.
How does the points table look like?
There has been no movement in the positions on the points table after the game on Tuesday, with both SRH and PBKS maintaining their fifth and sixth positions, respectively, in the standings of IPL 2024. The Sunrisers, however, are now ahead of the Kings by two points, with six to their name in five matches.
Chennai Super Kings retained their fourth place following a comfortable victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Monday.
Lucknow Super Giants climbed to the third spot in the IPL 2024 points table after their triumph over Gujarat Titans on Sunday, while Mumbai Indians secured their first win of the season, advancing to the eighth position.