On This Day in 2023: Sandeep Sharma’s No-Ball Gifts SRH a Last-Gasp 4-Wicket Victory

The twist in the final moment made it an unforgettable game and one of the most iconic finishes in IPL history for fans around the world.

Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: 7th May 2023

One of the most underrated rivalries and the teams who often fly under the radar as Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) produced a truly thrilling contest on May 7, 2023, in the 52nd match of IPL 2023 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur as it was a match that started with fireworks from the batters and ended with absolute drama that had fans on the edge of their seats as Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled off a record 215-run chase, winning by 4 wickets off the final ball in one of the most iconic finishes the league has ever seen and after winning the toss, Rajasthan Royals chose to bat first and made full use of the opportunity on a flat Jaipur surface and as the innings began in explosive fashion with Yashasvi Jaiswal setting the tone early as he smashed 35 runs off just 18 balls, including 5 fours and 2 sixes, at a strike rate of 194.44. His partnership with Jos Buttler added 54 runs in just under 5 overs before he was dismissed by Marco Jansen.

From there, Buttler took centre stage, playing one of his finest IPL innings as the Englishman scored a magnificent 95 off 59 balls, laced with 10 boundaries and 4 sixes and he timed his acceleration well, going from anchoring the innings to launching a full-scale attack during the middle and death overs. Buttler was dismissed in the 19th over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar via LBW, just five short of a deserved century.

Captain Sanju Samson played the perfect supporting role and later became the finisher as he was unbeaten on 66 off 38 deliveries, with 4 fours and 5 massive sixes while Samson’s strokeplay was classy, mixing timing with raw power, and he ensured that RR never lost momentum despite losing Jaiswal and Buttler at crucial junctures.

Shimron Hetmyer had a brief but brisk cameo of 7 off 5 balls, and Rajasthan Royals ended their innings at a commanding 214/2 in 20 overs, scoring at a rate of 10.7 per over as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling struggled to find rhythm, with all bowlers going for runs as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Marco Jansen picked up one wicket each but both went for 44 runs in their 4 overs while Mayank Markande was the most expensive, leaking 51 runs in his quota, including 6 sixes while T Natarajan, Vivrant Sharma, and Abhishek Sharma all went wicketless.

Despite using six bowlers, SRH couldn’t contain RR’s powerful batting lineup. Their bowlers failed to execute death-over strategies effectively, particularly yorkers and slower deliveries, which allowed Rajasthan to cross the 200-run mark with ease and at the halfway mark, a target of 215 looked daunting, especially with the way Chahal and Ashwin had performed throughout the season, but what followed was nothing short of a spectacle.

Chasing 215, SRH needed a strong foundation, and the openers Anmolpreet Singh and Abhishek Sharma delivered exactly that as they added 51 runs for the first wicket in just under 6 overs and Anmolpreet played a confident knock of 33 off 25 balls, but it was Abhishek Sharma who laid the perfect platform with a brisk 55 off 34, hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes before falling to Ravichandran Ashwin in the 13th over.

Rahul Tripathi then anchored the middle phase with a fluent 47 off 29 balls, taking the attack to the bowlers with 2 fours and 3 sixes. However, Yuzvendra Chahal brought RR back into the game with a masterclass in leg-spin bowling. Chahal ended with figures of 4/29 in 4 overs, dismissing Anmolpreet, Tripathi, Heinrich Klaasen (26 off 12), and Aiden Markram (6 off 5), breaking the backbone of the chase and reducing SRH to 174/5.

But just when it looked like the game was slipping away, Glenn Phillips played an unbelievable cameo. Coming in at a critical stage, Phillips smashed 25 off just 7 balls, including 1 four and 3 sixes. He brought the equation down to the final over before being dismissed on the penultimate ball of the 19th over.

The Story of the Last Over…

With 17 needed off the final over, Abdul Samad and Marco Jansen were at the crease and the match looked heavily tilted in Rajasthan Royals’ favour but what followed was a dramatic turnaround that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and left RR stunned as Sandeep Sharma was trusted with the final over, and it began with Samad slicing a thick edge past short third for two runs but the very next ball, Samad drilled a straight six down the ground and Joe Root leapt high at long-off but couldn’t prevent the ball from going over and now 9 were needed off 4 balls.

On the third delivery, Samad managed only a single off a low full toss and then Jansen too collected just one, hitting to deep midwicket. With 6 needed off 2 balls, Samad was back on strike. Sandeep missed his yorker by inches and Samad punished it again, another straight six, flat and fierce, clearing the boundary to bring the equation down to 1 run needed off 1 ball. Celebrations began prematurely as Sandeep thought he had nailed the final delivery with a full ball drilled to long-off for a single. But heartbreak followed for RR as the umpire called a no-ball for overstepping.

Suddenly, SRH had a free hit and still needed 4 to win. Sandeep tried another yorker but missed again, and Samad launched it over the bowler’s head for a third six of the over, sealing a jaw-dropping win for Sunrisers Hyderabad with no balls to spare. The Sunrisers chased 215, their highest successful run-chase in IPL history, finishing on 217/6 in 20 overs. It was also the first time they successfully chased a 200+ total in the tournament’s history.

Among RR bowlers, Chahal was the clear standout. His 4-wicket haul almost won the match for his team. But the rest struggled under pressure. Kuldip Yadav picked up 1 wicket but conceded 50 runs, while Murugan Ashwin and Obed McCoy combined for 55 runs in just 4 overs. The win gave SRH a crucial 2 points and stunned the home crowd in Jaipur. Abdul Samad’s calm under pressure and Glenn Phillips’ blitz earned them massive praise, while RR were left to rue a no-ball that cost them a win.