The Sunrisers Hyderabad played one of their most impressive games in IPL 2014 just when they needed it to pull off an impressive seven-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
With the final playoff spot at stake, both sides could do with nothing but a win, but it was SRH who broke their home hoodoo with an assured victory over RCB.
Choosing to bat first, the Royal Challengers, struck 160 for six in their 20 overs, with Virat Kohli finally finding some serious form.
The target, however, proved to be short as SRH, led by half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner, jumped to 161 for three in 19.4 overs to grab a crucial two points.
"We needed a win, and it was the last game in front of these beautiful fans," SRH skipper Darren Sammy said at the presentation ceremony. "Those last two overs from Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] and Dale [Steyn] kept us in the game.
"Also a lot of credit goes to our openers [Dhawan and Warner]. Now, we'll go to Ranchi, try for a clinical performance, and hope other results go our way."
Both SRH and RCB have two matches remaining, with the two teams on 10 points each. The two South Indian sides will have to hope for some help from KKR if they are to make the final four, though, with RCB skipper Virat Kohli livid after throwing away a great chance to take control of their destiny.
"We needed to win here tonight," he said. "I think we did well to get 160 on that sort of wicket but it played better under lights and we didn't expect that. SRH batted very well initially, we pulled it back but and we were backing ourselves but we weren't able to deliver in the death overs.
"We started off slowly with the bat but we paid the price for not executing our plans with the ball."
