The 21-year-old accomplished what Dhoni had failed to do three weeks earlier by using his strength to smash the final ball for a six to cap off the chase in style.
Sandeep Sharma had been in a similar situation three weeks ago when he was playing against MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja at the Chepauk.
Dhoni had hit back-to-back sixes of low full-toss deliveries, reducing CSK’s target of 21 to 7 of 3 after smashing 21 off 21.
However, Sandeep came back spectacularly to bowl a perfect yorker to the legendary Dhoni in the final ball, when 5 was required, and he held his nerve to not concede any more boundaries.
Sandeep faced Abdul Samad, a relatively inexperienced option, on Sunday night in Jaipur, with Sunrisers Hyderabad requiring 17 off the final over.
But the 21-year-old did what Dhoni couldn’t, smashing the final ball, a yorker, for a six to cap off the chase in style after SRH got a lifeline from a no-ball drama.
Sandeep continued to bowl the yorker length with strength, which had been effective against Dhoni. However, Samad shuffled across to score two runs against the wider one in the first ball before smashing the exact same one for a six-over long on.
After that, Samad and Marco Jansen scored four runs in the next three balls, necessitating five runs from the final pitch for SRH.
Samad mistimed the shot this time, holding it out to the fielder at long off, but Sandeep did not alter his strategy in any way. However, he did slow it down in the final ball.
As they increased their chances of making the playoffs for the second time in a row, RR broke into a jubilant celebration. However, the hooter’s sound ended the celebrations.
Umpire motioned for a no-ball as RR colleagues were left completely confounded while Sunrisers were given a lifesaver. Sandeep’s foot was just millimeters outside the crease, as replay later revealed.
Sandeep stuck to his wide-yorker strategy because SRH needed four off the final ball, and Samad didn’t make a mistake this time. He launched the slightly undercooked yorker high over the bowler’s head from deep in his crease for a stunning six.
With that SRH finished their most noteworthy ever effective pursuit in IPL history. It was likewise the most elevated ever against Rajasthan Royals and at the scene too.
Glenn Phillips deserves a lot of credit from SRH, even though Samad deserved all the praise for his heroics in the final over.
The New Zealand batsman, who had replaced Harry Brook in the lineup, hit a 7-ball 25 that reduced SRH’s target to a manageable distance in the penultimate over of the chase. He hit three maximums and a boundary.