Mitchell Starc stuck thrice in the powerplay as Kolkata Knight Riders bowled out Sunrisers Hyderabad to 159 in Qualifier 1 of the IPL here on Tuesday. Rahul Tripathi top-scored for SRH with 55 off 35 balls while Heinrich Klaasen smashed 32 off 21 balls. The 62-run stand between Tripathi and Klaasen was the lone positive in an otherwise underwhelming batting effort.
Tripathi was run out after a superb effort by Andre Russell. HIs reaction after getting out has gone viral.
Well Played Champ Rahul Tripathi.
Not only survived the fiery spell of Starc but also took us back into the game from nowhere. pic.twitter.com/VDzdEBvTVv— Rampy (@RiserTweex) May 21, 2024
MOST HEARTBREAKING PICTURE OF THE DAY.
– Rahul Tripathi sitting in tears on the stairs. He’s absolutely devastated. You gave your best, Tripathi! pic.twitter.com/bV1nhkzcjs
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 21, 2024
Rahul Tripathi in tears after getting out…!!! pic.twitter.com/WrUbDpQCZe
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 21, 2024
Tripathi pic.twitter.com/Z3jOqcXWvA
— Pushkar (@musafir_hu_yar) May 21, 2024
IPL’s third highest run-getter Head was all over the place when he went for a wild heave against the lanky Australian, who got the ball nipping slightly away after pitching and knocking down the off and middle stumps to dismiss the batter for his second consecutive duck.
Starc then bounced out Reddy with wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz settling himself well under the ball for a simple grab.
Shahbaz was the next to depart as he chopped one onto his wickets looking to guide it down to the third man.
Starc’s opening spell of 3-0-22-3 gave KKR complete control of the proceedings as the other bowlers thrived in the situation to drive home the advantage.
Reduced to 39/3, SRH needed a counterattack and that came from Rahul Tripathi (55 off 35) but it was far from enough.
Tripathi soaked in pressure well to keep the boundaries flowing for SRH but he did not find enough support from the other end, beyond a 62-run stand for the fifth wicket with Heinrich Klaasen.
The burly South African, who had scored a vital 49 in the last match, did not go all out but played a crucial knock of 32, which came off 21 balls with three fours and a six until he found the man at deep midwicket off Varun Chakravarthy in the 11th over.
Facing the task of rebuilding again, there was no respite for the struggles that SRH had to endure when Tripathi was run out after a brilliant effort in the field from Andre Russell caught the SRH batter halfway through the pitch when there was perhaps no run on offer.
Abdul Samad hammered a six off his first ball but his resistance too did not last long enough and the last of the recognised SRH batters, impact player Sanvir Singh, was cleaned up by Sunil Narine (1/40) on the first ball he faced.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins played a crucial knock of 30 off 24 while also putting on a vital 33-run stand for the last wicket with Vijayakanth Viyaskanth to take SRH beyond the 150-mark.
