Hyderabad, April 5 (NationPress) A remarkable counterattacking effort from Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy saved Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from a precarious position, allowing them to reach a total of 156/9 in 20 overs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during their Indian Premier League match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.

After being asked to bat first by Lucknow, Hyderabad faced a challenging beginning as the visiting bowlers dominated the top order. Mohammed Shami made an impact in the first over, sending Abhishek Sharma back to the pavilion for a duck with a clever slower ball that led to an edge to short third man.

Shami quickly claimed another vital wicket when Travis Head misplayed a slower delivery to mid-off, leaving Hyderabad in a precarious state. The situation worsened as Prince Yadav delivered a sharp inswinger that clean bowled Ishan Kishan, leaving the hosts struggling at 11/3 within the first four overs.

As the pressure mounted with regular wickets, Liam Livingstone briefly attempted to stabilize the innings with a six down the ground, but his resistance was short-lived as leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi induced a miscued shot that was expertly caught by skipper Rishabh Pant behind the stumps. At 35/4 after 10 overs, Hyderabad was on the verge of recording one of their lowest first-half totals in IPL history.

In the midst of a crumbling innings, Klaasen and Reddy joined forces to orchestrate an impressive recovery. They began cautiously but soon shifted gears. Nitish ignited the counterattack with a series of powerful pulls and lofted drives, while Klaasen expertly targeted the gaps with his precise strokeplay.

The partnership gained momentum post the halfway mark, with boundaries flowing freely. Klaasen hit Avesh Khan for four consecutive boundaries in the 14th over, shifting the momentum, while Nitish punished the spinners with towering sixes over long-on and deep extra cover.

The duo brought up a century stand that completely changed the course of the innings, with Klaasen reaching his fifty off 33 balls and Nitish following suit shortly after. Their 116-run partnership for the fifth wicket, the highest for Hyderabad at that stage in IPL, lifted the hosts from 35/4 to a more competitive position.

However, Lucknow made a significant comeback in the death overs. Manimaran Siddharth ended the pivotal partnership by having Nitish caught in the deep for a commendable 56 off 33 balls, featuring three fours and five sixes. Klaasen soon followed, attempting a reverse shot against Avesh Khan, which led to an edge caught by Pant for a solid 62 off 41 deliveries.

Avesh then triggered a late collapse, claiming two wickets in consecutive deliveries, while Prince Yadav wrapped up the tail with a well-executed yorker. A run-out in the final over further dampened Hyderabad’s chances of finishing strongly.

Despite the late wickets, the counterattacking partnership between Klaasen and Nitish ensured Hyderabad bounced back from a dire situation to post a competitive score.

Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 156/9 in 20 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 62, Nitish Kumar Reddy 56; Mohammed Shami 2-9, Prince Yadav 2-34) against Lucknow Super Giants.