Hyderabad: In a stunning display of middle-order resilience, Heinrich Klaasen and the young Nitish Kumar Reddy staged a massive rescue operation to power Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to a competitive total of 156/9 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
The Early Collapse
SRH’s decision to bat first backfired spectacularly in the opening overs. LSG’s Mohammed Shami turned back the clock with a lethal opening spell, removing both Travis Head (7) and Abhishek Sharma (0) within the first two overs. When Ishan Kishan and Aniket Verma also fell cheaply, SRH found themselves staring at an abyss at 26/4 inside the powerplay.
The Turnaround: Klaasen & Reddy Show
Just as it looked like a double-digit total might be on the cards, Heinrich Klaasen was joined by Nitish Kumar Reddy. The duo stabilized the innings before launching a fierce counter-attack.
- Heinrich Klaasen: The South African powerhouse played a calculated knock of 62 off 41 balls, peppered with 5 boundaries and 2 massive sixes.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy: The youngster matched his senior partner’s intensity, scoring a blistering 56 off 33 balls, including 5 towering sixes that shifted the momentum back to the home side.
Their 116-run partnership for the 5th wicket breathed life back into the Hyderabad crowd, turning a potential disaster into a fighting total.
Shami and LSG Fight Back
Despite the recovery, LSG bowlers pulled things back in the final three overs. Mohammed Shami finished with exceptional figures of 2/9, while Avesh Khan and Prince Yadav picked up two wickets each to ensure SRH didn’t cross the 170-mark.
