With 3 runs needed off the last ball, Sikander Raza outsmarted even the great MS Dhoni‘s plan to win Punjab Kings a nail-biting match against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Sunday evening.
With 9 runs needed off the last 6 balls, CSK captain MS Dhoni’s brilliant field setting and Matheesha Pathirana’s clever, audacious bowling helped it bring it down to 5 off 2 balls and 3 off the last ball. However, this time the experience of the veteran Zimbabwean cricket Sikandar Raza trumped the nerves of the young Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana.
Seeing the field that MS Dhoni had set, Raza smartly moved across his stumps and pulled Pathirana over the square leg fielder. The pair of Raza and non-striker Shahrukh ran for their lives and completed three runs to seal a thrilling victory for the Punjab Kings.
The Cheapauk went stun silenced as PBKS pulled off a stunning win from the jaws of defeat to complete the run-chase of 201, handing CSK a rare loss at their home ground.
VIDEO: MS Dhoni watches as Sikandar Raza wins a thriller for PBKS
Sikandar Raza with the winning runs – what a run chase by Punjab Kings. pic.twitter.com/hdrztc63lP
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 30, 2023
In the post-match presentation, MS Dhoni said: “We need to be prepared as to what is to be done. The last few overs when we were batting, we could have gotten 10-15 more. Our bowling needed some cushion. The slower one did grip. Our batters have been putting runs consistently. I think 200 was par but we bowled two bad overs. We know the conditions well. We didn’t bowl well. You didn’t want to get hit to that side. You need to see what is the problem. The execution or the plan. Pathirana bowled really well. The first six overs we can do better. What lines to bowl.”
