Cameron White played a cameo when his team needed it the most. His two towering sixes helped Sunrisers Hyderabad pip Royal Challengers Bangalore by a five-run margin in the Super Over, after scored were tied at the end of the former’s 20 overs in the Pepsi IPL league match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Sunday night.
Vinay Kumar of RCB was treated with disdain as White pulled one and then lofted another over long-off to help the home team score 20 runs in the Super Over. Chasing 21 runs, RCB’s scoring pattern in the Super Over delivered by Dale Steyn was 2, 1, 4 (Kohli), 1, 6 (Gayle), 1.
Earlier, G.H. Vihari was the surprise hero for Sunrisers Hyderabad — first dismissing Chris Gayle with his first ball and then hitting a gritty unbeaten 44 — to help the home tie the scores, chasing a modest score of 131.
There were hopes of a repeat performance for RCB from the lion-hearted Vinay Kumar who bowled the last over with Sunrisers needing seven runs. He sent back Ashish Reddy and then bowled a dot ball before conceding 1, 2, 2, and a bye off the last ball saw the scores tied.
Earlier, Sunrisers pulled off a major surprise when RCB elected to bat, choosing to hand over the new ball to offie Vihari. And, he responded in style sending back the dangerous Gayle with his first-ever ball in the IPL.
There was a lull in the stands when the big-hitting Gayle departed, trying to cut one which had extra bounce but ended up snicking to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.
Then, it was the turn of fast bowler Ishant Sharma to produce a beauty which nipped back to slip through the defence of Dilshan Tillakaratne and rattle the off-stump.
Misery piled on RCB when Amit Mishra trapped an out-of sorts Karun Nair in front with a length ball. At 42 for three in eight overs, it was not the start RCB was looking for.
Virat Kohli played some exquisite strokes, the pick of them being an extravagant six over long-off off Ishant. Just when he was looking dangerous, medium-pacer Ashish Reddy produced a stunning return catch, diving low to his left after Kohli failed to check his back-drive.
It could have been worse for RCB but for a fine innings from Moises Henriques which lent the scoreboard some respectability.
Scoreboard
Royal Challengers Bangalore : C. Gayle c Parthiv b Vihari 1 (2b), T. Dilshan b Ishant 5 (9b), V. Kohli c & b Ashish 46 (44b, 5 x4, 1 x 6), Karun Nair lbw b Mishra 9 (9b), M. Henriques c White b Ishant 44 (40b, 5 x 4), M. Agarwal c Ankit b Steyn 7 (8b), Arun Karthik c Ashish b Perera 0 (1b), Vinay Kumar c Sangakkara b Ishant 7 (4b, 1 x 4), Murali Kartik (not out) 2 (2b), Jaydev Unadkat (not out) 1 (1b); Extras: (lb-1, w-7): 8; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 130.
Fall of wickets : 1-8 (Gayle), 2-22 (Dilshan), 3-42 (Nair), 4-85 (Kohli), 5-108 (Mayank), 6-114 (Karthik), 7-125 (Henriques), 8-127 (Vinay).
Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling: Steyn 4-0-37-1, Vihari 1-0-5-1, Ishant 4-0-27-3, Ankit 2-0-17-0, Perera 4-0-21-1, Mishra 4-0-15-1, Ashish 1-0-7-1.
Sunrisers Hyderabad : Akshat Reddy b Muralitharan 23 (21b, 2 x 4), Parthiv Patel c Karthik b Henriques 2 (1b), C. White c Muralitharan b Henriques 5 (9b, 1 x 4), Hanuma Vihari (not out) 44 (46b, 2 x 4), K. Sangakkara c Arun b Unadkar 16 (17b, 1 x 4), T. Perera c Henriques b Unadkat 7 (8b, 1 x 4), A. Mishra (run out) 0 (0b), Ashish Reddy c Kohli b Vinay 14 (12b, 1 x 6), D. Steyn (not out) 3 (3b); Extras (b-1, lb-9, w-6): 16; Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 130.
Fall of wickets : 1-4 (Parthiv), 2-20 (White), 3-48 (Akshat), 4-81 (Sangakkara), 6-101 (Mishra), 7-124 (Ashish).
Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling : Unadkat 4-0-24-2, Henriques 3-0-14-2, Kartik 4-0-27-0, Muralitharan 4-0-18-1, Vinay 4-0-27-1, Dilshan 1-0-10-0.
Super Over : SRH: 20 (White 17 n.o. (2 x 6)) bt RCB 15 (Gayle 10 n.o. (1 x 6), Kohli 5 n.o. (1 x 4)).
Man of the match : Hanuma Vihari.
