Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Punjab Kings by two runs to win in a nail-biting encounter at the PCA Stadium in the 23rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Chasing 183 runs, Punjab saw moments of brilliance from Sam Curran and Sikandar Raza, but none of them carried on to win the match for their franchise. 

Early Setbacks for PBKS

As the curtains lifted on the chase, PBKS faced early blows. SRH skipper led the charge, sending opener Jonny Bairstow packing for a duck in the second over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar further dented PBKS’ hopes, quickly dismissing Prabhsimran Singh and skipper Dhawan. Despite brief resistance from Sikandar Raza and Sam Curran, PBKS struggled to find stability.

See Also: Who is Nitish Kumar Reddy? Savior of SRH against PBKS

PBKS’ previous match standout, Shashank Singh, once again showcased his resilience by scoring 46 runs off 25 balls, including 6 fours and a maximum. Despite his valiant effort, it wasn’t enough to secure a victory for his team. Batting alongside him was Ashutosh Sharma, who contributed 33 runs off 15 balls.

The Rise of Nitish Kumar Reddy

Earlier in the game, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s explosive innings of 64 off 37 balls steered SRH to a competitive total of 182/9. Reddy’s partnership with Abdul Samad injected momentum into the innings, but Arshdeep Singh’s four-wicket haul restricted SRH’s surge. Reddy’s maiden IPL half-century showcased his potential as a rising star in the league.

The 20-year-old Reddy hammered his maiden half-century in IPL off 32 balls and rescued them from 100/5 to reach a good total after Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and elected to field first.

Arshdeep Singh’s Bowling Masterclass

SRH’s hopes of posting a big score depended on Head and Abhishek Sharma but on Tuesday, both of them failed to put up a big score. Head struck a couple of good boundaries but was out for 21 (15 balls) off Arshdeep Singh. It became 27/2 three balls later as the left-handed Arshdeep had Aiden Markram edging behind to Jitesh Sharma for a two-ball duck.  Left-handed pacer delivered brilliantly, claiming two wickets in an over against SRH. He dismissed Samad by bowling wide outside off, caught by Harshal Patel at deep point. Then, Reddy fell to Arshdeep’s low full toss, caught by Rabada at long-off.

The Climactic Finish

In a match filled with twists and turns, SRH emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 2 runs. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s standout performance and Arshdeep Singh’s lethal bowling display defined the pulsating encounter between the two IPL giants.

IPL 2024 Points Table After PBKS vs SRH match

No	Team	M	W	L	T	N/R	PTS	Net RR	Form
1	Rajasthan Royals	4	4	0	0	0	8	1.120	WWWW-
2	Kolkata Knight Riders	4	3	1	0	0	6	1.528	LWWW-
3	Lucknow Super Giants	4	3	1	0	0	6	0.775	WWWL-
4	Chennai Super Kings	5	3	2	0	0	6	0.666	WLLWW
5	Sunrisers Hyderabad	5	3	2	0	0	6	0.344	WWLWL
6	Punjab Kings	5	2	3	0	0	4	-0.196	LWLLW
7	Gujarat Titans	5	2	3	0	0	4	-0.797	LLWLW
8	Mumbai Indians	4	1	3	0	0	2	-0.704	WLLL-
9	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	5	1	4	0	0	2	-0.843	LLLWL
10	Delhi Capitals	5	1	4	0	0	2	-1.370	LLWLL