Sunrisers Hyderabad’s aspirations of making the playoffs were dashed on May 13 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad after Lucknow Super Giants defeated them by seven wickets. Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 182/6 in the first innings after choosing to bat first, thanks in large part to outstanding performances from Heinrich Klaasen (47 off 29) and Abdul Samad (37* off 25).
In response, the Lucknow Super Giants chased down the mark in 19.2 overs thanks to the outstanding performances of Prerak Mankad (64* off 45), Marcus Stoinis (40 off 25), and Nicholas Pooran (44* off 13). Let’s look at the discussion points from the game as LSG advanced closer to playoff qualifying.
1. Questionable decisions made by the third umpire during the innings for SRH
LSG examined the on-field waist height no ball call that the umpire had overturned during the 19th over of the SRH’s inning. SRH reviewed a bouncer that was declared a fair delivery on field in the innings’ last over as well because Abdul Samad soared to the height of his ability but still missed the ball. To everyone’s amazement, third umpire Yeshwant Barde upheld the on-field judgement and declared the delivery to be fair, despite the fact that both verdicts sparked outrage on social media.
2. A double-wicket over by Krunal Pandya
After 12 overs in the first innings, SRH were cruising at 115/3 when captain Krunal Pandya entered the fray. The SRH captain Aiden Markram was caught behind on the first delivery of the 13th over after being taken for a duck by the left-arm spinner. On the ensuing ball, he dispatched Glenn Phillips for a golden duck to tilt the match in his team’s favor. Pandya only allowed two runs in the over while also taking two wickets to help his team get back into the contest.
3. Prerak Mankad’s decisive half-century won the game.
In just his third IPL appearance, the 29-year-old played a superb innings of 64 off 45 balls. Seven fours and two sixes were scattered across his innings as he formed significant partnerships with Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran to lead his team to victory.
Losing skipper Aiden Markram stated: “I did enjoy my batting.” We spoke about adapting, and we knew we could target that one over from spin. Thankfully, it worked out well (on the 31-run over from Abhishek). Since it’s a batter’s game with no risk, no reward, you need to focus on the match-ups, it’s crucial to target the sixth bowler. I’ve played enough international cricket to be familiar with how to handle various circumstances. I was prepared for the bowlers to throw yorkers and slower balls. I want to bat more consistently, even in T20I cricket.
With the pace they were going, winning skipper Krunal Pandya said: “I thought 200, but we pulled it back nicely toward the end, thanks in large part to Yash and Avesh.” With guys like Stoinis and Pooran, we had to think that anything was possible at this level. Fortunately, it worked out for us and Abhishek’s departure changed the flow. We felt we had to leave even though there was nothing noteworthy. Prerak Mankad is entering his debut season, and his decision to come out and bat like that displays a lot of courage. We are very glad that he is coming out and contributing those runs. Even he will think he fits in here.
Player of the Match Prerak Mankad (64 off 45), said: “This is the most crucial game for us. My performance is more important than my score because I want to help every team I play for.” Because I had played against Mayank in domestic cricket and knew he would try to get me out, I took my chance while trying to hit the spinners but was unable to make contact. I appreciate the management giving me this chance. Although I haven’t batted much at number 3, I have in the top four. I trusted in my strength and abilities, and it ultimately paid off. I shouldn’t be affected by what happens on the other end, and we won this game thanks to Stoinis and Pooran.