Sunrisers Hyderabad's fielding was an absolute masterclass, suffocating the life out of the Lucknow SuperGiants innings.
Breathtaking catches and a pinpoint direct hit from Pat Cummins strangled any momentum LSG dared to build.
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck an early dagger into the heart of the LSG innings in the 3rd over. His delivery found Quinton de Kock's bat, and the South African opener unleashed a powerful pull shot. The ball rocketed towards the deep backward square leg boundary, seemingly destined for a six.
But wait! Nitish Kumar Reddy had other plans.
Initially, it seemed like the ball might evade Reddy, but he showcased remarkable balance and awareness. He leapt brilliantly, catching the ball just before it cleared the ropes. Sensing he was heading over the boundary, Reddy released the ball, stepped out, and then returned to complete the catch within the field of play.
De Kock, stunned, trudged back to the pavilion with a mere 2 runs to his name.
This dismissal, a masterclass in fielding brilliance by Reddy, put LSG on the back foot early on.
A look at Reddy's leap of faith:
Sanvir Singh
Bhuvneshwar Kumar continued his early onslaught in the 5th over, but this time it was Sanvir Singh who stole the spotlight to dismiss the dangerous Marcus Stoinis.
Stoinis, facing a back-of-length delivery that rushed him, miscued a pull shot towards mid-on. The ball, seemingly destined for safety, began dying in the air. But Sanvir Singh, with a burst of pace and a full-body dive, lunged forward and snagged the catch mere inches from the ground.
The on-field umpires, unsure of the clean take, conferred with the third umpire. While Stoinis stood his ground, Sanvir looked confident. The replay confirmed Sanvir's heroics -- his fingertips had indeed grasped the ball before it touched the ground.
Stoinis, his brief stay at the crease cut short by a sensational display of fielding, departed for 3 runs.
T Natarajan
Pat Cummins delivered a crucial blow for SRH in the 10th over, snaring KL Rahul's prized wicket with a delivery that demanded a special effort in the field.
Rahul, after a cautious start, was beginning to find his rhythm. But Cummins' back-of-length ball, angling into the right-hander, tempted him into a tentative pull shot. The ball lacked power, ballooning towards the long-leg boundary.
Enter T Natarajan, who sprinted to his right, judging the trajectory of the ball perfectly. Just as it seemed destined to sail over the ropes for a six, Natarajan launched himself into a spectacular leaping grab, plucking the ball out of thin air a split second before it touched the ground.
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