Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by just 4 runs in a thrilling last-over contest on Wednesday. RCB was in the game at one stage, but a sensational run-out by SRH skipper Kane Williamson to pack Glenn Maxwell’s innings proved to be the match-changing moment.
Maxwell was unbeaten on 40 at the start of the 15th over, with Bangalore 92/3, needing 50 to win from 36 balls. However, Maxi’s 25-ball stay at the crease ended when his partner Devdutt Padikkal called for a quick single.
It all happened on the second ball of the 15th over bowled by Rashid Khan. Padikkal tapped the ball in front of cover and called his partner through for a quick single. Williamson quickly picked up the from one hand and fired at the stumps while off-balance, in mid-air, and Maxwell was short of his crease.
Here is the video:
https://twitter.com/rishobpuant/status/1445801107582697474
The match went down to the wire, with RCB needed six to win on the last ball of the final over. RCB’s crisis man AB de Villiers was at the striking end. Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept the ball wide off-stump, and De Villiers failed to hit a biggie as Bangalore finished four runs short of the total.
Even RCB skipper Virat Kohli admitted that Maxwell’s run-out was the game-changing moment as the momentum was quickly shifted towards SRH.
“Maxi’s [Maxwell] run-out was the game-changing moment in terms of momentum, and Maxi was in the zone to get a couple of big overs. With AB [de Villiers], you are never out of the game, but it is about making sure that the guy who’s in flow is on strike in the crucial moments,” said Kohli at the post-match presentation.
Williamson also shared his thoughts concerning his brilliant effort to get Maxwell out in the match. He said: “[It was] nice to dismiss Maxwell, dismissing him one way or another was the thing to be done. To close it out at the death, to turn up and show the fight when we’re not in contention, was great to see.”
