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Cricket PlayersWatch: Umran Malik bounces back after Nitish Rana's 28-run carnage to deny Rinku Singh magic in last over in KKR vs SRH
Umran Malik held his nerves by restricting a rampaging Rinku Singh in the last over to deny a deja vu to KKR and handed his team consecutive wins in IPL 2023.
The stage was set for yet another Rinku Singh magic. Just five nights after that mind-blowing knock in Ahmedabad, Rinku Singh took Kolkata Knight Riders to the door step of another miraculous escape after captain Nitish Rana had perfectly laid the platform with his blistering half-century. Rinku had already warmed up with three boundaries against Natarajan in the penultimate over as he geared up for the final six balls against Umran Malik, who was taken off the attack after Nitish's 28-run carnage in the powerplay in his only other over in the match. But the SRH star held his nerves to deny a deja vu to KKR fans and handed his team a consecutive wins in IPL 2023.
After a stunning start to SRH's second innings with KKR going three down early, Umran was introduced into the attack in the final over of powerplay. But that one over changed the entire momentum of the game as KKR stormed back in a stunning fashion to frustrate the SRH attack.
Umran had started off with a bouncer and Nitish luckily got a top edge on the pull shot to a get a boundary down fine leg. The pacer stuck to his plan of short balls as Rana played the pull shot again and timed it for a maximum on the second ball. Umran decided to change his plan, but ended up dishing out a slot ball that was dispatched through mid-wicket for a four by the KKR captain on the next ball. Nitish followed it up with two more boundaries - one through cover and other through fine leg before he ended the over with a six over backward point against the shorter one from Umran.
Umran was taken off the attack, but SRH skipper Aiden Markram had no other choice but to get him back for the final over where KKR needed 32 runs to win with a well-set Rinku at the crease, who had smashed 30 runs with five straight sixes in the last match.
However, it was a more confident Umran that had arrived for the final over on Friday night. He dismissed Shardul Thakur in the very first ball before new batter Umesh Yadav got a single on the next ball to get Rinku on strike. But KKR was done already by then with the equation reading 31 off 4.
The KKR star failed to find the gap on the third and fourth ball before hitting the back of the length fifth delivery for a six. But Umran remained unfazed as he walked back to his bnowling position with a smile. He ended the over with a slower short ball and Rinku managed only a single implying SRH won the encounter by 23 runs.
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It was SRH's second win on the trot after they started their campaign with two straight losses. KKR, on the other hand, suffered their second defeat in IPL 2023.
