Renowned for their powerful batting in the first innings, Sunrisers Hyderabad were sent in to bat first by Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson in Qualifier 2. However, things quickly went downhill for the Orange Army when Trent Boult worked his magic, claiming the crucial wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Aiden Markram within the powerplay.
Despite this setback, Heinrich Klaasen and Travis Head managed to keep the scoreboard ticking, reaching 96/3 in nine overs with a 42-run partnership. Unfortunately, Head’s innings was cut short in the 10th over, igniting a wave of celebration in the Royals’ dugout, especially for their team director, Kumar Sangakkara.
On the final ball of the 10th over, Sandeep Sharma bowled a slower delivery that pitched around off stump. The Australian opener, misjudging the speed of the ball, attempted to cut it over the wicketkeeper and short third man.
However, the slower pace deceived him, resulting in a mistimed shot that sailed towards the short third fielder, Ravichandran Ashwin. The Chennai star took an easy catch inside the circle, leaving Head visibly frustrated and shouting in anguish as he walked back to the pavilion.
— AK DS (@AKDS580838) May 24, 2024
The Royals celebrated jubilantly, with Sangakkara punching the air in delight at having dismissed the prized wicket of Head. The Twitterverse also erupted in celebration, praising Sharma’s brilliant delivery that led to Head’s dismissal.