"We need this kind of spell in ODI WC" - Fans react as Bhuvneshwar Kumar takes fifer during GT vs SRH in IPL 2023
Bhuvneshwar Kumar starred with the ball for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 15.
The senior Hyderabad bowler finished with exemplary figures of 5/30, including three wickets in the 20th over. He also ran out Noor Ahmed with his on-field brilliance.
The 33-year-old first dismissed GT opener Wriddhiman Saha for a three-ball duck in the first over. Bhuvneshwar then sent back centurion Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, and Mohammed Shami in the last over, which yielded just two runs and four wickets, leaving the hosts in tatters.
The Titans' head coach Ashish Nehra, who is known for his calm demeanor, was seen fuming on the sidelines.
The right-arm seamer has become the only third bowler to pick up two five-wicket hauls in the tournament, only after Jaydev Unadkat and James Faulkner. He also became the first bowler from SRH to achieve the milestone.
Fans on Twitter went gaga over Bhuvneshwar Kumarβs excellent show with the ball against GT. One user tweeted:
"We need this kind of spell in ODI WC."
Here are some of the other best Twitter reactions:
For the uninitiated, Bhuvneshwar has so far picked up 14 wickets in 12 games at an economy rate of 8.19 in the ongoing IPL 2023. The Hyderabad-based franchise retained Bhuvneshwar for Rs 4.2 crore despite managing just 12 wickets in 14 games last season.
Bhuvneshwar Kumarβs heroics restricts GT to 188/9
A clinical batting performance from Shubman Gill helped the Gujarat Titans post 188/9 in their allotted 20 overs. The right-handed batter scored 101 off 58 balls at a strike rate of 174.14, including a maximum and 13 boundaries.
Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan chipped in with 47 off 36 deliveries, including six fours and one six. The duo shared a 147-run partnership for the second wicket. The remaining batters failed to cross single-digit scores.
Besides Bhuvneshwar Kumarβs heroics, Marco Jansen, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Thangarasu Natarajan settled for one wicket apiece.
Now, the onus will be on SRH batters to keep the franchise alive in the race to the IPL playoffs.
Follow GT vs SRH live score updates here.