In the gripping Qualifier 2 clash between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, pacer Avesh Khan emerged as the game-changer for RR. With his fiery spell, Khan turned the tide in his team’s favor within just one over, applying immense pressure on SRH.
It was the 14th over when Avesh Khan’s brilliance came to the fore. In a remarkable display of skill, he clinched two crucial wickets, dismantling SRH’s batting lineup. Firstly, he dismissed Nitish Reddy, restricting him to a mere 5 runs off 10 balls. Moments later, Khan delivered a magical ball to Abdul Samad, leaving the young batter clueless as it crashed into the off-stump.
WATCH – Rahul Tripathi’s Dismissal Rocks SRH: Boult Strikes, Kavya Maran Left In Disbelief
Abdul Samad’s dismissal on a golden duck left even SRH CEO Kavya Maran stunned. Khan’s impeccable bowling showcased his ability to extract movement off the pitch, catching the SRH batters off guard. His deliveries were precise, tailing in just enough to breach their defences.
The dismissal of Abdul Samad was a testament to Khan’s skill and accuracy, leaving a noticeable gap between bat and pad, resulting in a clean bowled.
Notably, Avesh Khan’s impactful performance in this crucial encounter mirrors his previous heroics against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In that game, he rattled RCB’s middle-order by removing key batters Rajat Patidar and Dinesh Karthik in quick succession, sealing the victory for RR.
WATCH – Trent Boult Strikes Early: Dismisses Abhishek Sharma in First Over Duel
Despite Khan’s heroics, Heinrich Klaasen’s valiant half-century for SRH kept the match finely balanced. Klaasen’s resilient innings, comprising 50 runs off 34 balls, propelled SRH to a competitive total of over 160, ensuring a gripping contest at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Reddy, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal
