The stage was set for a thrilling encounter as the Sunrisers Hyderabad took on the Kolkata Knight Riders. Hyderabad’s captain, Pat Cummins, won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that would ultimately pay off.
Openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head got the team off to a flying start. Abhishek scored 32 runs off 16 balls, while Head smashed 76 runs off 40 balls. But it was Heinrich Klaasen who stole the show with his explosive batting. Klaasen remained unbeaten on 105 runs off 39 balls, hitting 7 fours and 9 sixes. He became the fastest Hyderabad player to score a century, and his knock was the third-fastest century in IPL history.
Klaasen’s onslaught helped Hyderabad post a massive total of 278 runs, losing just three wickets. This total is the third-highest in the tournament’s history, with the top two scores also belonging to Hyderabad. Ishan Kishan contributed 29 runs off 20 balls, while Aniket Verman remained unbeaten on 12 runs off 6 balls.
The Kolkata Knight Riders struggled to chase down the target, despite a valiant effort from their batsmen. Manish Pandey was the top scorer for Kolkata, but his efforts were not enough. Hyderabad’s bowlers, including Harsh Dubey, Jaydev Unadkat, and Ishan Malinga, took three wickets each to restrict Kolkata’s progress. In the end, Kolkata fell short by 110 runs, with eight balls still remaining.
The win marked a strong finish to the season for Hyderabad, who ended with 13 points from 14 matches. They won six matches and lost seven, with one ending in a draw. Kolkata, on the other hand, had a disappointing season, winning just five matches and losing seven, with two ending in draws. The team finished eighth in the points table.
Despite the loss, neither team’s fate was affected in terms of playoff qualification, as both teams were already out of contention. However, the match provided an exciting conclusion to the season, with Klaasen’s incredible century being the highlight of the game.