Sunrisers hyderbad
IPL-Playoffs: All-round Rashid propels Hyderabad into final
Kolkata, May 25 - Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan starred with bat and ball to help Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) fix a date with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Sunday's final after beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 13 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Qualifier 2 at the Eden Gardens here on Friday.
Sunrisers will take on CSK in the summit clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Chasing 175 for victory, KKR were blown away by Rashid's brilliance before Shubman Gill (30; 20b; 2x4, 1x6) batted brilliantly to take the game till the last over when 19 runs were needed off six balls.
Shivam Mavi (6) hit a four off Carlos Brathwaite before picking out Rashid at deep midwicket. In the next ball, Rashid was in the thick of things again, taking Gill's catch to end their fight as KKR finished on 161/9 in 20 overs.
Rashid first smashed a whirlwind 10-ball 34 to pull Sunrisers out of a hole and propel them to 174/7 before returning spectacular figures of 3/19 in four overs as the Kane Williamson-led franchise made their second IPL final.
Rashid gave away just three runs in the first over and accounted for Robin Uthappa (2) in the very first ball of his second over. The 19-year old then trapped KKR's highest scorer Chris Lynn (48; 31b; 6x4, 2x6) in front to reduce the purple brigade to 108/5 from 93/2 in 10 overs.
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In his last over, Rashid outfoxed Andre Russell (3) with a superb googly which the batsman tried to cut but ended up giving Shikhar Dhawan an easy catch at slip.
With the ever-dependable captain Dinesh Karthik (8) also dismissed earlier by Shakib Al Hasan (1/16), Gill gave KKR some hope. Sunil Narine gave KKR a flying start, taking Bhuvneshwar Kumar for three boundaries and a six off his first four balls in the third over.
The West Indian holed out to Carlos Brathwaite (2/16) at mid on off Sidharth Kaul 2/32) in the next over but Nitish Rana continued the big hitting by tonking Khaleel Ahmed for two sixes over third man and fine leg as KKR raced to 67/1 in six overs.
A timely run out broke the 47-run second wicket partnership with Rashid and Wriddhiman Saha combining to send Rana (22; 16b; 1x4, 2x6) back in the hut.
KKR were 93/2 at the halfway stage, well on course to gun down the target but Uthappa threw away his wicket to keep their fate in the balance. The vice-captain attempted an audacious reverse sweep off Rashid only see his leg stump flattened.
In the form of his life, law of averages caught up with skipper Karthik (8) when Shakib castled him with a beautiful delivery that skidded through the surface and cramped him for room. Lynn departed in the next over followed by Russell with Gill hitting a few gorgeous shots but it was too little too late.
Earlier, Rashid blunted chinaman Kuldeep Yadav's two crucial wickets in one over with a superb cameo.
