Big-hitting Yusuf Pathan and teenage pace man Kamran Khan steered Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling IPL win on Thursday as A.B. de Villiers edged Matthew Hayden in the battle of the master-blasters.
Pathan slammed 18 runs off four balls as the defending champion Royals snatched victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders in a “super over” after their match ended in a tie at Newlands.
Kolkata needed only seven to win off the last over of the normal match, bowled by teenaged left-arm fast bowler Kamran Khan. After starting the over with a wide, Khan dismissed former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly for 46 with his fifth ball.
PHOTO: AFP
With two needed to win off the last ball, Ishant Sharma hit a fierce drive that was parried by Royals captain Shane Warne at cover. The batsmen ran one, but Sharma was run out attempting the winning run and the sides were locked on 150 runs. Khan was entrusted with the “super over” and was struck for three successive fours by Chris Gayle as the Knight Riders scored 15 for one, with Gayle caught off the last ball.
Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who took two for 19 in four overs in the match, bowled the “super over” for Kolkata, but Pathan hit him for six, two, six and four.
“Yusuf Pathan was fantastic,” said Warne after his team’s first win of this year’s tournament. “To have walked out and clubbed two sixes like that, was well done.”
PHOTO: AFP
Warne said he had been happy to see Kamran bowl the “super over.”
“Kamran gave six runs off the last over [of the scheduled 20] and I thought he did well to hold his nerve,” the Australian said.
In Durban, de Villiers hit the first century of the tournament to give the Delhi Daredevils a nine-run win over the Chennai Super Kings.
South African de Villiers rode his luck to finish unbeaten on 105 as Delhi made 189-5, while Matthew Hayden hit 57 as he triggered a heroic run chase that ended at 180-9 after a late collapse at Kingsmead.
Victory maintained Delhi’s 100 percent record, while Chennai suffered their second loss in three matches.
“I kept it simple, hit the ball and enjoyed myself. I really had to work hard for my first 50 as my timing was a bit off, but the runs flowed from then on,” de Villiers said.
Hayden made a quick-fire 57 in a reply that was on track until former England skipper Andrew Flintoff was caught by substitute David Warner to leave Chennai on 156-5 and two last-over run-outs settled the outcome.
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