"Dhoni samjha kya Abdul Samad he me"- Fans react as SRH youngster finishes match with a six off last ball against Sandeep Sharma in SRH vs RR clash

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finisher Abdul Samad played a scintillating cameo against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday, May 7, to help his side win the match off the final ball.

RR batted first in the contest after winning the toss. They reached a huge total of 214/2 on the back of magnificent knocks from Jos Buttler (95) and Sanju Samson (66*).

SRH's top order then batted sensibly and set up a decent platform for their side in a steep chase. Heinrich Klaasen (26 off 12 balls) and Glenn Phillips (25) played invaluable knocks in the second half of the innings to inject momentum into their innings. In the final over, SRH needed 17 runs to win the match.

RR skipper Sanju Samson entrusted Sandeep Sharma with the responsibility of the job with the ball. Sandeep was the one who defended an even lower tally of runs against one of the greatest finishers MS Dhoni earlier this season.

Abdul Samad and Marco Jansen ran a brace off the first ball, which was a dropped catch of the former batter. Samad then hit a six, but Sandeep Sharma managed to bowl tightly in the next three balls.

The equation came down to five runs from one ball. Abdul Samad hit a lofted shot straight to Jos Buttler at long-off, who completed a regulation catch.

Just as Sandeep Sharma and other RR players started celebrating, however, the buzzer went off as the umpire signaled it as a no-ball. After a sensational twist in the tale, Samad provided an epic anticlimax by hitting the free-hit for a six to seal the game for SRH.

Fans hailed Abdul Samad for maintaining composure in the crunch situation and helping his side get over the line in the end. They expressed such views through their reactions on Twitter. Here are some of them:

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When I went to bat, it was a difficult situation: SRH batter Abdul Samad

Speaking after the conclusion of the match, Samad revealed that the situation was tricky when he entered the crease. He gave the credit to Phillips for playing a blistering cameo and giving SRH impetus in the end.

The 21-year-old finisher also remained optimistic about his side's campaign in IPL 2023 and looked forward to carrying the momentum into the forthcoming games.

"When I went to bat, it was a difficult situation. Phillips gave us the injection. I was waiting for the ball to land in the slot. I was lucky today with the no-ball. (What the umpire told before the final delivery) He told us that we required four runs off the last ball. (About Glenn Phillips' cameo) He is the game-changer for us. We are still in the game and look forward to carry this momentum for the upcoming matches."

SRH will next face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 13 in Hyderabad.