IPL 2020: SRH vs KKR Review – Ferguson stars in Super Over thriller

Kolkata Knight Riders defeated the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 35 of IPL 2020 that turned out to be a Super Over affair. This win for Kolkata has created a significant gap between the top four and bottom four teams in the points table. And it was the Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson who took all the limelight for KKR.

After being invited to bat first, KKR kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Andre Russell’s poor run continued and it was Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan’s late blitz that propelled them to 163 runs in their 20 overs. While Karthik slammed 29* off 14 balls, the KKR skipper scored 34 runs off 23 to help the team post a competitive total.

Opening change

SRH changed their opening combination for the chase, with Kane Williamson coming out alongside Jonny Bairstow. The duo did well to add 57 runs for the first wicket. But soon they were reduced to 82/4 thanks to Lockie Ferguson’s exceptional bowling. David Warner batted at four on the day and made sure he stayed in the middle till the end. Despite the boundaries drying up, he ran hard between the wickets even as Abdul Samad hit some lusty blows.

The equation then came down to 17 off the last over. An injured Russell bowled with a short run-up which helped Warner to churn out three consecutive fours. When two runs were needed off the last ball, the SRH skipper could only take a single to take the game into the Super Over.

And then in the Super Over, it was the Ferguson show all over again. The Kiwi pacer nipped out both SRH wickets for just two runs and then KKR chased down the target easily.

Turning Point

Lockie Ferguson’s fiery spell – KKR played Ferguson for the first time this season and he proved his mettle right away. He took the key wickets of Williamson, Manish Pandey and Priyam Garg while also doing the hard part of the catch to dismiss Abdul Samad in the 19th over. Then he came back in the Super Over and castled Warner and Samad both to help KKR win the match easily. Overall, Ferguson took five wickets in just 4.3 overs in the game (including the Super Over), conceding only 17 runs.

Top performers

Records/Personal Milestones

• David Warner completed 5000 runs in the IPL, becoming the first overseas batsman to do so.
• Pat Cummins completed 100 T20 wickets in this game.
• Lockie Ferguson also completed 50 T20 wickets with three scalps in this game.

Way Ahead

KKR next face RCB in Dubai on October 21 while SRH, in a must-win situation, lock horns against Rajasthan Royals on Thursday (October 22) at the same venue.