IPL 2021: RCB win by 6 runs after SRH choke in the death

Dominant for most of their run-chase, the Sunrisers Hyderabad choked at a crucial stage to hand the Royal Challengers Bangalore the win at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday. The Virat Kohli-led side won by 6 runs, turning the match around in the final four overs to register their second win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and go top of the table.  

Chasing a 150-run target, SRH were cruising at 96 for the loss of one wicket with skipper David Warner (54) – having brought up his 49th IPL fifty – and Manish Pandey (38) having forged a 83-run stand for the second wicket. SRH needed 54 runs from 46 deliveries with nine wickets in hand at that point. 

However, after Warner’s dismissal, Shahbaz Ahmed took three key wickets in the 17th over to swing the momentum back in Bangalore’s favour. 

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The left-arm spinner dismissed the two set batsmen – Jonny Bairstow (12) and Pandey – in consecutive deliveries, conceded a single between two dots before removing Abdul Samad (0) to finish a dream over.  

The drama was not over, however. With SRH needing 13 off the final four deliveries, Harshal Patel bowled a full-toss no ball, which was dispatched by Rashid Khan for a boundary, chalking five runs off the target. 

Patel made amends later, with Khan running himself out in search for an ambitious double, with another wicket and just one run coming from the final two deliveries. 

In all, the Bangalore outfit conceded just 27 runs and took seven wickets in the final four overs to complete a comeback win. 

Earlier, Glenn Maxwell (59) scored his seventh IPL fifty to guide RCB to a competitive total. Skipper Kohli once again failed to convert a start, dismissed by Jason Holder for 33 runs.

The West Indies skipper was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 30 runs, with Rashid Khan conceding just 18 runs from his four overs for two wickets.