IPL 2019 highlights: RCB signs off with win; SRH awaits KKR's result for playoff qualification

Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann's half-centuries helped Royal Challengers Bangalore chase down 176 and wreck Sunrisers Hyderabad's playoff qualification chances.

Updated : May 04, 2019 23:42 IST , BENGALURU

Sunrisers Hyderabad would hope its better head-to-head record against Royal Challengers Bangalore comes in good stead on Saturday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad would hope its better head-to-head record against Royal Challengers Bangalore comes in good stead on Saturday.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad would hope its better head-to-head record against Royal Challengers Bangalore comes in good stead on Saturday.

 

◘ RCB wins, by 4 wickets! Umesh Yadav hits the winning runs off the second ball of the final over and Sunrisers Hyderabad is no longer in control of its destiny in its bid to qualify for the IPL 2019 playoffs.

◘ WICKET! Gurkeerat Mann falls for 65, trying to upper cut a slower bouncer from left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed over the fielders at backward point and short third man. Without pace on the ball, Gurkeerat picks out Yusuf Pathan at point. RCB needs 9 more runs from 10 balls. Washington Sundar is the new batsman in he is out for a first-ball duck! Drama here!

◘ RCB 165/4 in 18 overs: Sunrisers Hyderabad breaks the Shimron Hetmyer-Gurkeerat Mann partnership through Rashid Khan and Vijay Shankar's brilliance on the boundary, but RCB needs only 11 more runs from 12 balls.

◘ WICKET! Shimron Hetmyer holes out in the deep, goes for 75 off 47 balls. He tries to hit Rashid Khan for consecutive sixes, but is caught brilliantly by Vijay Shankar on the long-off boundary.  Twelve runs needed off 14 balls. Colin de Grandhomme is the new batsman in.

◘ RCB 151/3 in 17 overs: Just five runs off the 17th over, the first after the strategic timeout. But Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann have RCB well in control of the chase. Twenty-five more needed from 18 balls.

◘ RCB 146/3 in 16 overs: Sixteen runs come off Vijay Shankar's first over and Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann have RCB on track for a consolation win.  RCB needs 30 more runs from 24 balls.

Fifty for Gurkeerat Mann, his second in IPL!

◘ RCB 130/3 in 15 overs: Nine runs off the 15th over and Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann are doing this comfortably. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan have one over each and those are the overs Sunrisers Hyderabad will expect to buy a wicket or two off. Vijay Shankar is introduced into the attack.

◘ RCB 121/3 in 14 overs: Six runs off Rashid Khan's third over, with Shimron Hetmyer playing a delightful inside-out shot to collect a four to the right of the fielder at long-off. Rashid did well to concede just two runs off the five remaining deliveries. However, with Hermyer and Gurkeerat Mann in full flow, where does Sunrisers find a wicket from? The last five overs have produced 60 runs and unless a wicket arrives in the next over or two, RCB is likely to chase down 176. Also, Hetmyer and Gurkeerat have added 101 runs for the fourth wicket and they are doing it pretty comfortably.

◘ RCB 115/3 in 13 overs: What's happening to Sunrisers Hyderabad? Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan drop chances to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer, once at deep midwicket, which was the harder chance, and once at point, which should have been taken comfortably. Thirteen runs come off the over and RCB is now motoring towards the target. It needs a further 61 runs from 42 balls.

◘ RCB 102/3 in 12 overs: Without taking much of a risk, Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann collect 10 runs. Gurkeerat is playing the ideal foil to the more aggressive Hetmyer and Sunrisers Hyderabad desperately needs a wicket, with the required run rate a manageable 9.25 per over.  Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back into the attack.

◘ RCB 92/3 in 11 overs: Rashid Khan's second over proves expensive, with Hetmyer getting to his fifty and finding the boundary a couple of times. It was much-needed after just five runs came off the 10th over. The partnership is now 72 for the fourth wicket between Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann. Basil Thampi continues.

Fifty for Shimron Hetmyer, his first in the IPL! Rashid Khan flights the ball generously and it's in the slot for the West Indies batsman to not worry about the variation and give it the full monty. He makes a clean connection to deposit the ball over the deep midwicket.

◘ RCB 77/3 in 10 overs: Just five runs off the 10th over of the innings. The asking rate is climbing up, but Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann are not going after the bowling yet. Ninety-nine more runs needed off 60 balls.

◘ RCB 72/3 in 9 overs: Eleven runs off Mohammad Nabi's second over and Royal Challengers Bangalore is well-placed at 72 for three after 9 overs. It needs a further 104 runs off 66 balls. Gurkeerat Mann and Shimron Hetmyer have steadied the ship but have plenty of work ahead of them with not much batting to come. Basil Thampi continues.

◘  RCB 61/3 in 8 overs: Mohammed Nabi and Basil Thampi have sent down two overs for 12 runs as the RCB batsmen are happy rotating the strike, taking the singles in a well spread out field and getting the odd boundary.

◘ RCB 49/3 in 6 overs: The powerplay has given RCB almost 50 runs. Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Mann are reviving the RCB innings. It still needs 127 runs in 84 balls, gettable by T20 standards.

◘ RCB 44/3 in 4.5 overs: It is all happening at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Hetmyer hits one back towards the bowler/non-striker and the ball almost knocks Gurkeerat Mann. His bat comes in the way and it was hit with such a force that Mann lost his grip on the bat and the bat flew in the air and fell about 10 feet apart.

◘ RCB 44/3 in 4.4 overs: Hetmyer takes on Rashid Khan and smacks him over cow corner for almost a flat six.

◘ RCB 35/3 in 4 overs: 15 runs off the Khaleel Ahmed over and RCB has started to get up on its feet again. Gurkeerat Mann and Hetmyer have looked positive and need to capitalise on their starts.

◘ RCB 28/3 in 3.3 overs: Looks like Shimron Hetmyer has heard the comment. He smacks Khaleel for two consecutive boundaries — through mid-on and covers — as the RCB faithful crowd is back on its feet.

◘ RCB 20/3 in 2.5 overs: This time it is ABD. RCB in tatters! ABD manages an edge as he tries to flirt with a delivery that was curling outside off and only manages an edge which Martin Guptill takes at first slip. SRH is calling the shots now!

◘ RCB 18/2 in 1.5 overs: What a start for SRH. Khaleel Ahmed removes Virat Kohli, a short wide ball that deserved to be smacked. Kohli wanted to go after it but only manages an edge and Wriddhiman Saha makes no mistake behind.

◘ RCB 16/1 in 1.2 overs: Virat Kohli takes on Khaleel Ahmed. First a boundary past mid-off and then a six off long-on region. Kohli gets into the act pretty early and this is dangerous signs for SRH.

◘ RCB 1/1 0.3 overs: Parthiv Patel departs. He tries to go big off a length delivery, on the leg side, and manages only a leading edge as he was rooted to the crease and Manish Pandey accepts the catch with glee. RCB rocked early as Bhuvneshwar strikes.

Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli walk in. Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball.

So, 176 it is for RCB. We will be back with the chase in very quick time.

SRH 175/7 in 20 overs: 6, 4, 6, 4, 2nb, 1, 4 in the last over. 28 runs milked off Umesh Yadav by Kane Williamson and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as SRH finishes with a healthy 175 on the board. A good start by SRH, it faded away in the middle overs, courtesy brilliant bowling by the RCB bowlers, and then a Kane Williamson cameo in the end helped it. Williamson remains unbeaten on 70 off 43 balls (5x4, 4x6) and Umesh Yadav finishes with 4-0-46-0 at an economy of 11.50.

Read: Yuzvendra Chahal becomes 14th bowler to 100 IPL wickets

SRH 142/7 in 18 overs: Sunrisers loses its way towards the the middle and the end. A good start has been wasted by the batsmen in an attempt to step up on the gas. Most of the catches have been taken in the deep as the batsmen looked to get those extra runs on the board.

SRH 139/7 in 17.3 overs: Kulwant Khejroliya strikes. Another SRH batsman departs in an attempt to up th ante. A miscued pull by Rashid Khan and he ends up finding Shimron Hetmyer at deep midwicket.

SRH 137/6 in 17 overs: Mohd. Nabi departs and SRH is wobbling. Nabi tries to up the ante but cannot get it anywhere close to his intended place. He targeted the short boundary as he tried to slog a length delivery from Saini. He got his distance calculation all wrong and ended up giving Gurkeerat Mann a catch in the deep.

SRH 127/5 in 15.5 overs: Yuzvendra Chahal strikes in his final over. This is his 100th IPL wicket . He sends Yusuf Pathan back for just three runs. He tries to slice the bowler, after a mostly quiet over, but ends up picking the sweeper cover fielder, Umesh Yadav. Mohd. Nabi comes to the centre, joining Kane Williamson. Chahal finishes his quota, returns with 1/24 in 4 overs.

SRH 122/4 in 15 overs: Kane Williamson gets into the act. He takes Kulwant Khejroliya to the crowds in the deep square leg area and the last ball he targets the deep midwicket area with the same success.

SRH 106/4 in 13.5 overs: Washington Sundar has his man. Vijay Shankar is back in the hut. The bowler shortens his length a bit and Vijay Shankar tries to heave him into the orbit one more time but gets a top edge and Colin de Grandhomme doesn't miss skiers easily. The cameo comes to an end, RCB is back in it.

SRH 100/3 in 13.3 overs  106/3 in 13.4 overs: Vijay Shankar is in flow! Back-to-back sixes off Washington Sundar. He targets the long-on fence and the next ball deposits it in the crowds at cow corner.

SRH 87/3 in 12.1 overs: What a welcome for Colin de Grandhomme. Vijay Shankar clears his front leg and dispatches this near the long on and cow corner region for six runs.

SRH 79/3 in 11 overs: No flurry of activity like how it was about 40 minutes ago. Umesh Yadav leaks one boundary, off the fourth ball — a beautiful bottom hand shot through midwicket from Williamson, as RCB is building up the pressure in the middle overs.

SRH 63/3 in 9 overs: Vijay Shankar and Kane Williamson have a job on hand. The good start by SRH has been nullified by one Washington Sundar over. Kulwant Khejroliya just gives away 2 runs in the 9th over. SRH needs to build block by block, over by over — quickly now.

SRH 61/3 in 7.5 overs: What a catch! Washington Sundar takes two in an over. Shimron Hetmyer picks up a good catch in the deep. Two big wickets — Martin Guptill and now Manish Pandey. Pandey pulls Washington, doesn't get enough power and the ball almost carries to Hetmyer who had to dive forward at deep midwicket to pluck it inches off the ground.

SRH 60/2 in 7.2 overs: Washington Sundar strikes. He has the inform Martin Guptill in his bag. Guptill pulls this but gets a leading edge to Virat Kohli, at short midwicket.

SRH 59/1 in 7 overs: Manish Pandey smacks Kulwant Khejroliya to a four in the mid-off region off the first ball of the over but the bowler comes back strong and just gives away three runs in the next five balls.

SRH 52/1 in 6 overs: What a powerplay for SRH. It has managed to breach the 50-run mark, losing one wicket of Wriddhiman Saha. Guptill and Manish Pandey are in the middle and should capitalise on this foundation.

SRH 46/1 in 4.3 overs: Navdeep Saini strikes. Wriddhiman Saha departs. He tries to hit Saini past the mid-on fielder but he mistimes it into the hands of Umesh. The in-form Manish Pandey walks out in the middle.

SRH 44/0 in 4 overs: Chahal manages to contain the run flow in the next three balls as SRH is motoring along at 11 runs per over.

SRH 41/0 in 3.3 overs: SRH is toying with the RCB bowling! Wriddhiman Saha scores three boundaries on the trot off Yuzvendra Chahal. A top edge over short fine leg, one through the midwicket region and the next at the square leg region. This is classic stuff from the SRH openers.

SRH 29/0 in 2.4 overs: Butter fingers! Yuzvendra Chahal drops Wriddhiman Saha. How costly is this going to be? Umesh gets this to pitch a tad short, on off and middle, as Saha goes for the pull. He didn't time it well as Chahal, who is in the deep square leg region for the shot, cannot take it clean and butters it.

SRH 21/0 in 2 overs: A five runs given bu Kohli, an overthrow, and then Saha takes off a boundary of the last ball to milk 19 off the second over. SRH is off to a flier.

SRH 12/0 in 1.3 over: Martin Guptill ups the ante! A four and a six off Navdeep Saini and SRH has got off to a good start. The four was placed delicately through the fine leg region and the six was just immaculate placement over the long-off region.

SRH 2/0 in 1 over: Umesh Yadav is on the money in the first over. He has mixed it up well — full length ones, short of length and fraction fuller ones — as Saha and Guptill manage one run each.

Martin Guptill and Wriddhiman Saha are out in the middle and Umesh Yadav will start the proceedings.

We have LIVE action coming up in a few minutes from now. The entire RCB team assembles for a group photograph.

Team news: Just the one change for Sunrisers Hyderabad as Yusuf Pathan comes in for Abhishek Sharma while Royal Challengers Bangalore has made three — Colin de Grandhomme comes in for Marcus Stoinis, Washington Sundar in for Pawan Negi and Shimron Hetmyer plays in the place of Heinrich Klassen.

 

Toss update: Virat Kohli wins toss, Royal Challengers Bangalore to bowl first. 

While it is the last league match, RCB head coach Gary Kirsten has his plans in place for the next season. Anjana Senthil has details here .

The support for RCB has always been fantastic and nothing changes for the last league match.

 

It is the last game for RCB and SRH and here is what an emotional Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have to say:

 

All eyes are on the points table and this is what SRH needs to do.

Qualification scenario: The Hyderabad-based franchise is best-placed to qualify as the fourth team for the playoffs. It has 12 points from 13 matches so far, while its net run rate is the best in the competition (0.65). The net run rate gives Sunrisers a distinct advantage over the other teams and a win against RCB, which will take it to 14 points will almost guarantee it a playoff spot.

If Sunrisers Hyderabad wins by just five runs, Kolkata Knight Riders will need a victory margin of around 125 runs against Mumbai Indians to go past Sunrisers' NRR. If Hyderabad loses to Royal Challengers Bangalore, it could still qualify if Knight Riders and Royals both lose their last game.

Every match has a battle within a battle and today we have:

Virat-Kohli-v-Rashid-Khanjpg

My colleague Anjana Senthil is at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and here is the preview of the match.

RCB vs SRH

The Sunrisers Hyderabad has its task cut out when it takes on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday: win and qualify for the playoffs.

Placed on 12 points after 13 matches with a superior net run rate (0.653), a win against out-of-contention Royal Challengers in the final game of the season for both the teams should be enough to seal the last available spot behind Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians.

The Sunrisers is smarting from the Super Over loss to Mumbai Indians on Thursday and will desperately hope for its top-order to carry forward the good work done by David Warner and Jonny Bairstow.

The last time the two teams played, Bairstow and Warner blasted centuries before the bowlers led by Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi cleaned up RCB batting for a thumping 118-run victory. The two have left for their respective national World Cup preparatory camps and Royal Challengers are no longer under pressure to win.

While the bowling looks in good stead, Sunrisers’ success will depend on its batsmen. Only Manish Pandey has lived up to the challenge off late with half-centuries in three of his last four innings. The Karnataka batsman will be relishing the opportunity to play at his home ground.

Skipper Kane Williamson is low on confidence after accumulating only 58 runs in his last seven outings. To the visiting team’s advantage, RCB’s bowling line-up has failed to click in the tournament so far and a batting-friendly Chinnaswamy track may make the task a fair bit easier for the Sunrisers.

Read:  What journalists do in a rain-affected cricket match

Bowling reserves

“I think one of the toughest things we’ve had to deal with this season is our international fast bowler never arrived (Coulter-Nile), for two years actually. So that’s been quite a tough thing to deal with,” RCB head coach Gary Kirsten said, reflecting back on the season. Dale Steyn, Coulter-Nile’s replacement, suffered a shoulder strain and had to leave after only two matches with RCB.

With the departure of Australian Marcus Stoinis now, Bangalore may give Shimron Hetmyer or Tim Southee one last opportunity to shine for the team.

The host has only pride to play for and will hope to finish with a flourish for its faithful fans, who braved the thundershowers to support the team against Rajasthan Royals earlier this week.  “We’re going in tomorrow’s game to want to win it and we’ve picked the team that we think is best suited to win that game,” Kirsten said.

The match will start at 8pm and live streaming is on Hotstar.

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