[Watch] RCB’s Karn Sharma Dismisses Nitish Kumar Reddy as SRH’s Woes Deepen in IPL Match

As the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) aimed to chase down a daunting target set by the visiting Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, their hopes took a hit with the dismissal of the in-form batter Nitish Kumar Reddy by RCB spinner Karn Sharma.

Joining the action for the 41st match of the IPL 2024 season, Reddy started strong by hitting Swapnil Singh’s easy delivery for a big six down the ground. But with wickets falling quickly on the other side, Reddy couldn’t handle the pressure of the increasing required run rate against Sharma.

Fresh from impactful innings of 64 and 37 against Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals respectively, Reddy couldn’t replicate his IPL 2024 form against RCB. Despite batting at number four and entering the crease during the opening powerplay, the 20-year-old managed a run-a-ball 13 before Sharma’s delivery shattered his stumps, leaving SRH struggling at 69-5 in their pursuit of RCB’s imposing 206-run target.

In the first innings, RCB posted a commanding 206-7 in their allotted 20 overs, propelled by Virat Kohli’s fluent 43-ball 51 and Rajat Patidar’s explosive 20-ball half-century. Captain Faf du Plessis contributed a quickfire 25 off 12 deliveries, while late-order hitters Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik, and Swapnil Singh added crucial runs.

Despite the daunting target, SRH bowlers showed resilience, with Jaydev Unadkat leading the way with three vital wickets, conceding just 30 runs in his four-over spell. T Natarajan, identified as the Impact Player, also made an impact with two wickets, while skipper Pat Cummins and Mayank Markande contributed with a wicket each, despite being on the expensive side.