Harshit Rana delivered an outstanding final over, as KKR beat SRH by 4 runs to start the IPL 2024 with a triumph.
After Heinrich Klaasen delivered a spectacular blow late on Saturday night at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Sunrisers Hyderabad came dangerously close to defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, 22-year-old Harshit Rana remained composed under pressure and successfully defended 12 runs in the final over as KKR won the thrilling last-ball match. Gautam Gambhir, who joined his former team as their new coach for the IPL 2024 season, was overjoyed by the sight, while the SRH dugout was unhappy.
How often have you witnessed Gambhir beaming and joyfully celebrating? Gambhir let his emotions run wild, considering what had happened to him: Klaasen thrashed Mitchell Starc all over the ground in a 26-run penultimate over, and Harshit Rana had kept him quiet in the last over.
With only 65 needed in the last four overs, SRH was well out of the chase. After hitting a six and four off Andre Russell in the opening over, Abdul Samad was removed in the 17th over, leaving the visitors five down for 145 runs. Then, in the 19th over, Shahbaz Ahmed and Klaasen teamed up to smash 21 runs against Varun Chakravarthy. This was followed by 26 runs, including four maximums, against Starc, who was the most-bought player in IPL history at the auction last December.
Klaasen welcomed Harshit Rana with a massive six-over deep backward square, giving the impression that he was eager to finish the chase with just six balls remaining. Thirteen needed. In the third ball of the last over, Shahbaz attempted to do the same but was undone by the right-arm pacer’s slower delivery, which he holed out to Shreyas Iyer at long-on.
Marco Jansen, the new batter, got Klaasen on strike on the first ball he faced, which was exactly what SRH needed him to do for the last three balls. But Harshit Rana kept to his game plan, bowling slower deliveries as the premier player for SRH gained the upper hand. Although it appeared that he would not make the mistake, Suyash Sharma’s outstanding performance at short third saw Klaasen leave disappointed. With 29 balls, he scored 63 runs.
Pat Cummins, the captain of SRH, attempted to counter the slower-ball plan in the last ball by shuffleing across for a massive swing, but he was unable to connect as KKR orchestrated an exciting four-run victory to start their new season in style.
Hugging his colleagues, KKR support staff members, and then congratulating the players with a broad smile on his face, Gambhir was ecstatic to see the players.
What was the final over strategy with Harshit Rana?
Captain Iyer’s humble pep talk was all that was needed to calm Harshit Rana’s worries, as he felt that he appeared anxious at first.
“I started to get butterflies in my tummy around the 17th over. I sensed that anything could occur in the final over. We didn’t have the best bowler, and they needed 13 runs. However, I advised him to trust himself and that it wouldn’t matter what happened because I believed in him. Upon his arrival, he appeared a little anxious. However, I calmly addressed him by saying, “This is your moment, buddy.” told him to trust in himself and not worry about the outcome of the game,” he remarked following the contest.
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