IPL 2016: Nair hits 83 as Daredevils beat Sunrisers by 6 wickets in a thriller

Raipur, May 20: Delhi Daredevils kept alive their slender hopes of qualifying for the play-offs after Karun Nair guided them to a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad with a 59-ball unbeaten 83 in a do-or-die Indian Premier League match that went down to the wire here tonight (May 20).

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Chasing 159, Daredevils rode on Nair's knock to secure a last-ball win against the butter-fingered Sunrisers Hyderabad who dropped two easy chances, though Barinder Sran pulled off one of the best catches of the tournament.

Karun Nair of Delhi Daredevils plays a shot during an IPL 2016 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Raipur on Friday.

Delhi needed 11 off the final six deliveries bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The seamer had a good start, but a composed Nair managed to hit boundaries off the final two deliveries to help Delhi cross the line.

Nair hit eight boundaries and three sixes. Daredevils remained on sixth position with seven wins from 13 games, while Sunrisers stayed at the top despite the reverse. Daredevils were off to a bad start as they lost Quinton de Kock (2) cheaply in the second over.

Delhi Daredevils players celebrates the wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad player Shikhar Dhawan during an IPL 2016 match in Raipur on Friday.

The young duo of Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant (32) then shared a 73-run partnership for the second wicket to keep Daredevils in the hunt. Nair and Pant managed to hit the occasional boundaries. While Sran gave Sunrisers the opening breakthrough, the bowler was hit for two boundaries by Nair in the following over to keep the pressure on him.

Nair then clobbered Moises Henriques's short delivery for a big six over square leg. At the end of the 10th over, Daredevils were 68 for two, needing 91 runs from 60 balls at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

Carlos Brathwaite of Delhi Daredevils celebrates the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan of Sunrisers Hyderabad. — Carlos Brathwaite of Delhi Daredevils celebrates the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan of Sunrisers Hyderabad

Two overs went without a boundary after that six by Nair till Pant dispatched a short ball from leg-spinner Karn Sharma through the midwicket region.

That was the last time Pant would find the fence as he was run out due to a good piece of fielding by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Pant struck three boundaries in his 26-ball knock. Nair tried to wrest the momentum back by hitting Deepak Hooda's full toss through midwicket for a four.