SRH vs PBKS Highlights, IPL 2024: SRH 215/6 (19.1 ov); Abhishek’s stunning knock powers Sunrisers to 4-wicket win

The middle overs near identical for both sides, PBKS had a much better finish, so all the difference happened in the powerplay. 

PBKS - 61/0 (10.17 rpo, 8x4, 2x6)

SRH - 84/2 (14 rpo, 7x4, 6x6)

Klaasen says in the post-match chat that he will be rooting for KKR tonight. (Or like we said, can just root for rain!)

There was a lot of talk about a potential washout in Hyderabad but the rain stayed away throughout. And SRH's win puts RR under huge pressure in Guwahati. They must be wondering now surely they were better off in Jaipur. Already lost one match there and now there could be a washout to make their worst nightmares come true and go to the Eliminator despite looking so good in the first half of the season. 

SRH do what they needed to do. A 4-wicket win for them, powered by a super knock by Abhishek Sharma. So all eyes on Guwahati to see if RR can win & retake the 2nd spot.

SRH WIN BY 4 WICKETS: Atharva Taide to bowl the last over, interesting. Oh dear, and just one ball is SRH need. Sanvir smashes one down the ground for four. SRH have done their bit, move up to 2nd and now have their eyes peeled on Guwahati and maybe do some rain dance while they are at it. 

Samad and Sanvir in the middle and they are not taking chances in that Harpreet over, and this runchase has gone into the last over. Strange sort of finish from SRH. 

Klaasen castled: Too much to say there is a twist on the cards but SRH have made heavy weather of this run-chase after cruising for so long. Klaasen tries to scoop one behind and loses the leg stump 

Heinrich Klaasen b Harpreet Brar 42 (26 balls)

That's a Samad special. Couple of deliveries watchfully played out against Chahar, but he dances down and sends one soaring over long off. 200 has been crossed, the finish line in sight. 

Samad is the new batter in. Meanwhile in Guwahati, toss has been delayed by rain it seems. Oh dear, is there bad news loading for RR? 

Shahbaz out: It's not been Arshdeep's night after that first ball to dismiss Travis Head. Misfields and dropped catches off his bowling. But there is Shashank making up for some of his mistakes with a nice low catch. 

Shahbaz Ahmed c Shashank Singh b Arshdeep Singh 3 (6 balls)

Harshal Patel's tournament comes to a close and he might have done enough to pick up the Purple Cap next Sunday. We'll wait and see though. Some good-looking shots in that over, but just one of those went for four and that too not a great fielding effort by Shashank. 

Harshal Patel to bowl the final over of his season, can he extend his lead in the Purple Cap race? 

For whatever it is worth, a timeout. 

Harshal Patel drops a sitter! Shahbaz is the new batter and he too looks to keep going. Arshdeep is not happy with that. Gets his anger out with a short ball to Klaasen that is mistimed. A really good over from Arshdeep but doesn't do much for context. 

There is no reason to keep going hard here but that is not the SRH way. No NRR worry, bit of rain around but Nitish still throws his bat at a wide one and his caught at deep point. But that is what makes them so fun to watch! Priniciples. Purple Patel has another wicket. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy c Shivam Singh b Harshal Patel 37 (25 balls)

DLS par score is 129 after 13 overs. SRH are wayyyy ahead.

He has done it again! Another nearly full ball and he goes on to pull this straight down the ground. Those two sixes from Klaasen... goodness, that's why he is so good against spin. To balls that were half the stump height almost, on the backfoot and lofted for six. A six for Nitish too in that Harpreet over. THE SRH SHOW! 

Two superb shots over midwicket for sixes in that Rahul Chahar over! First is a bad ball, deserved to be put away as Nitish smacked a short one stylishly over midwicket. But the Klaasen one is all class. Nearly a full that was picked up so early. Nitish also hit a reverse sweep for four. Huge over. 

It has started to drizzle in Hyderabad, confirms Tanishq Vaddi. But good enough for play to continue. 

Out of nowhere, that was quite an over from Shashank Singh. Klaasen comes in as the drizzle continues. 

ABHISHEK SHOW ENDS: What a bowling change eh? Shashank Singh comes in and strikes first ball. Angled outside off, sliced to the fielder at deep point. There is a drizzle now it looks like and the wicket makes the DLS par score 104. 

Abhishek Sharma c Shivam Singh b Shashank Singh 66 (28 balls)

The Abhishek show continues! Big over, first five wides but that could have easily been the wicket of Abhishek as Harpreet fired in a wide that proved too good for Jitesh too to gather. Then a mishit for six is followed by another gorgeous shot over midwicket for another. 

Rahul Chahar thought he might have gotten a wicket there but Shashank has a misstep at the deep midwicket fence. The ball followed him over the fence. 

It has just been an absolute joy to watch Abhishek Sharma bat in this IPL. Like, many great batting performances, but Abhishek has brought a next level of thrill.

HALF CENTURY: Abhishek with a 21-ball half century! Two super shots for four to get there too. First, a wonderfully placed square cut and then a lofted straight drive off Harshal Patel. Earlier in that over, a great fielding effort from Prabhsimran prevented another four. 

Well, that's a calm amidst all the storm. A four-run over to start off the post-powerplay phase by Rahul Chahar. Nitish has joined Abhishek in the middle. A reminder that SRH don't really need a NRR boost here, a win will do. (If RR vs KKR is washed out,  SRH will have a better NRR anyway than RR while a RR win makes this win pointless)

That is another fabulous powerplay for SRH! And this despite losing Travis Head off the first ball. That's what happens when a team collectively buys into a philosophy. Tripathi kept going from the word go and Abhishek is once again batting like a dream (for the most part). A decent over that was from Rishi until Abhishek decided to send one soaring over long on, picking up the slower ball. 

WHAT AN EVENTFUL OVER FROM HARSHAL: Let's go chronologically. An absolutely streaky six for Abhishek as he gets one to fly over third man when trying to hit leg side. Then a gorgeous shot over cover, coming down the track. Harshal then bowl a high full toss that somehow Tripathi manages to scoop over for fine leg for six. The free hit damage is limited. And off the last ball, Harshal's signature slower ball end a fine cameo from Tripathi. 

Rahul Tripathi c Arshdeep Singh b Harshal Patel 33 (18 balls)

ABHISHEK! That's a super shot, bad as a ball as it was from Rishi. On the pads, but so quickly did Abhishek get into position and picked it up over square leg into the second tier. 

"Guys guys review is going on... has a review been taken or not" is one of the funniest IPL moments of the season. Down the leg side, given five wides it seemed initially, then it seems like the leg umpire said a review has been taken but by then Nitin Menon might have given it four leg byes anyway. But they take the review to make sure it was off the pads to officially overturn the decision. Bizarre phase of play, Nitin Menon has a smile on his face at the end of it all. 

Hit and miss from Abhishek in that Arshdeep over. When he missed it, he missed the ball quite badly. But when he hit, he hit two fours and a six! That's the SRH way, really. A couple of edgy fours and then a big hit off the last ball, pulled over square leg for six. 

? ??????'? ??????? ?

Runs Back ? Turns up ? Completes Catch ?

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @starsportsindia ??#TATAIPL | #SRHvPBKS | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/EaZnFsfwxB

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 19, 2024

A delay in the second over as the ball needs changing. Tripathi however is off to a really good start. A fine first-ball four in the first over. And a six and four off Rishi Dhawan in the 2nd over. SRH keeping the foot on the pedal as Tripathi plays a fine late cut for four off the last ball. 

Talk about a spectacular start!

A BEAUT of a delivery from Arshdeep Singh to get things going! ???

Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema ??#TATAIPL | #SRHvPBKS | @arshdeepsinghh | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/WInHujNQ8P

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 19, 2024

BOWLED FIRST BALL: What a peach! On a good length from Arshdeep Singh, the ball straightens after pitching, and the movement does Travis Head in all ends up. Top of off! 

Head b Arshdeep Singh 0 (1 ball)

So 215 to chase down and keep their hopes of a top two finish alive. The SRH batting machine have a tough task on their hands but they will be up against a rather inexperienced bowling lineup. 

Three really good overs in the death by SRH, but they had to find one more from Nitish in the end who just didn't get it right with the ball in hand today. 54/0 off his 3 overs. 

Nitish started the over well with two runs off the first three balls. But Jitesh takes the attack on as he should, first with a four wide of long on and then a full toss that is sent over midwicket for six. He has been expensive alright. A fine six over extra cover to finish the innings by Jitesh, a 15-ball 32 by the third PBKS captain of the season. 

That's now three straight terrific overs for SRH! The knack we were talking about. Nattu gets the big wicket of Ashutosh and concedes just one four for a 9-run over. Jitesh survives a mishit but keeps strike for the last over. Nitish to bowl it, can he keep things under control? 

WHAT A CATCH! Sanvir Singh had taken a stunner already this year but this is one of the best we'll see this year. Ashutosh slices a slower ball from Nattu, Sunny tracks from back cover and takes a fine high catch while tumbling over. 

Ashutosh Sharma c Sanvir Singh b T Natarajan 2 (3 balls)

Another top death over! Just six runs and the wicket of a set batter. SRH have done this nicely this season. In high scoring matches, they manage to bowl two or three really tight overs that matter. 

Cummins strikes: No half century for Rossouw but end of a good hand. Last over, he missed out on hitting a full toss over long on. This time off Cummins he finds the fielder at long on. Bhuvi deserves an assist for this wicket. 

Rossouw c Samad b Cummins 49 (24 balls)

That is a top top over from Bhuvi at this stage. A full toss is not put away by Rossouw and he is disappointed by it. Just singles off that over. Jitesh is the new batter in 

Rohit Sharma has lashed out at broadcasters for airing his conversations for “views and engagement” despite him requesting not to. A recent clip of the Indiam cricket team captain Rohit Sharma having a chat at the Eden Gardens with his Mumbai mate Abhishek Nayar was first aired by a franchise, which then hastily deleted it. But by then, the damage was done. Many social media handles had picked up the audio and had aired the clip themselves. After this, Rohit Sharma was seen in another clip where he was chatting with his friends in the stands. The clip showed Rohit Sharma telling the cameraperson to record him on mute. “The lives of cricketers have become so intrusive that cameras are now recording every step and conversation we are having in privacy with our friends and colleagues, at training or on match days,” Rohit Sharma said in a tweet on Sunday after Mumbai Indians had ended its IPL 2024 campaign.

Read more here.

OH DEAR, MASSIVE MIX-UP: Shashank Singh taps the ball into midwicket and sets off for a two, but decides against it. Rossouw however keeps running. Nitish, off his own bowling, puts in the effort and the throw catches Shashank well short. But otherwise that was another expensive over from Nitish, who was hit for a four and six by Rossouw. 

Rossouw continues to go hard, a short ball from the spinner put away over midwicket for six. 

VIYASKANTH STRIKES: And what was Prabhsimran thinkng! First ball, he completely misses a slog as he is beaten by a legbreak. Then moves to the legs side and tries to slog again, the ball lobs off his pad then onto the glove, Klaasen takes a really good catch diving forward. But hang on, why has re reviewed that? Almost out of disappointment it seems. There is a clear glove-touch and it is given out even though UltraEdge wasn't convincing. 

Prabhsimran c Klaasen b Viyaskanth 71 (45 balls)

Oh that's a bit streaky. Don't think Rossouw made good contact with his heave over long on, but it clears the fielder. A six but otherwise just singles. 

Prabhsimran has played Pat Cummins really quite well. Move over to the offside again, this time the connection not as good as the last over but still fine enough to carry the ball past the keeper for four. Rossouw also hits a four, finding the gap superbly past midwicket. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy comes on to bowl and then starts off with a MASSIVE no ball, oh dear. Rossouw puts away the free hit for four over midwicket and then hits a six over square leg too. Another six for Prabhsimran, as he moves over the offside and sends over fine leg. Big over! 

HALF CENTURY: Prabhsimran Singh scores his 2nd fifty of the season and this has been a solid knock from him. After a somewhat sedate start he has been going steady. Hits a six off Viyaskanth after reaching the milestone. 

What an over against the run of play from Nattu. Just two runs and a wicket. And nearly another off the last ball, Rossouw misses a ball and it nearly shaves the off stump. 

STAND BROKEN: The partnership falls just short of 100 but a great base for Punjab. Width from Nattu, Taide is right to go after this, hits it hard but straight to the fielder at backward point. Good catch by Sunny, who took a stunner last match. 

Taide c Sanvir b Natarajan 46 (27 balls)

The attack is sustained! And Prabhsimran is not afraid to take on the negative match up either. Takes on Viyaskanth against the spin and hits a six over midwicket. A four for Atharva in that over too, another one past the bowler. 

Shahbaz comes on, for more spin. And superb from Atharva to attack a positive matchup right away. This is refreshing stuff. Starts with a reverse hit and then the more conventional hoick over midwicket for six. 

Oh that is a brilliant fielding effort from Nitish Reddy in the last ball of that over to prevent a four. But Prabhsimran did hit a four earlier in the Viyaskanth over. 

Jitesh said at the toss that they hoped to put big runs on the board and put SRH under pressure and there is a good base being laid. 

First sign of spin after the timeout as Viyaskanth, the Sri Lankan, comes on. 

49 runs from the last 4 overs of the powerplay. Super stuff from PBKS so far. A four for Prabhsimran against Bhuvi and then Atharva plays another lovely shot for six, lofting one over mid on for six.

"The lives of cricketers have become so intrusive that cameras are now recording every step and conversation we are having in privacy with our friends and colleagues, at training or on match days. Despite asking Star Sports to not record my conversation, it was and was also then played on air, which is a breach of privacy. The need to get exclusive content and focused only on views and engagement will one day break the trust between the fans, cricketers and cricket. Let better sense prevail."