Sunrisers Hyderabad found the going tough on a slow, sticky surface at the Wankhede on Thursday, struggling to build momentum for most of their innings.
A brief spark from Abhishek Sharma during the powerplay offered early promise, but it quickly faded as SRH’s middle order failed to make any meaningful contributions.
However, the tide turned dramatically in the final three overs. After scoring just 20 runs in the previous three, the visitors exploded for 47 runs between overs 18 and 20 — injecting life into what had been a subdued innings.
Heinrich Klaasen set the tone, hammering Deepak Chahar for 20 runs in the 19th over, but it was young Aniket Verma who provided the perfect finish.
Facing Hardik Pandya in the final over, Aniket initially managed just a jammed yorker for a single. Pat Cummins, sharp as ever, called for a second run, but Aniket failed to ground his bat at the non-striker’s end while turning, costing the team a run.
Ironically, that small slip-up gave him the strike back — and SRH fans had no complaints. Aniket responded in style, launching two sixes in consecutive balls and finishing with a blazing 18 off 8 balls, pushing Hyderabad to a competitive 162.
— Deba (@Deba192240) April 17, 2025
Twitter lit up with reactions, as fans praised the youngster’s clutch hitting while chuckling at how a simple mistake turned into the turning point SRH needed.