"I think we kept fighting so that lucky moment came to us" - SRH batter Rahul Tripathi on the victory vs RR in IPL 2023
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Rahul Tripathi revealed that the side fought hard till the final moment against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday (May 7) and luck eventually favored them in the end.
RR would have actually won the match by four runs if not for a no-ball from Sandeep Sharma, which turned the night into a dramatic affair. They also started celebrating the win before the buzzer went off and the of-field umpire signaled no ball.
SRH finisher Abdul Samad, who had three reprieves in the final over, then hit a six off the free hit to help his side win the match by four wickets after an emotional rollercoaster.
In a video uploaded by SRH on their Instagram handle on Monday, Rahul Tripathi recalled the final moments of the game and emotions in the dugout, saying:
"I think when Samad hit the second last ball also, I thought it was going for a four or six, but obviously, it didn't go the distance, and Jos Buttler caught it. But I felt that there was something, and you know sometimes you need some luck. I think it was a lucky moment in the game for us. I think we kept fighting, so that lucky moment came to us, so very happy."
I was waiting for the ball to land in the slot: SRH batter Abdul Samad
Speaking after the conclusion of the match, Samad lauded Glenn Phillips for injecting some momentum in the death overs with a fiery cameo. He also shed light on his mindset in the final moments of the game and revealed that he was waiting for the ball to be in the slot.
Samad said:
"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.