Livingstone stars as ADKR edge Vipers in thrilling finish

On the night of bagging an INR 13 Crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL auction, Liam Livingstone responded with a 48-ball 76 as Abu Dhabi Knight Riders emerged victorious against Desert Vipers by a narrow one-run margin.

Livingstone's knock, which included six fours and three sixes, propelled Knight Riders to 181/5. Max Holden and Fakhar Zaman then provided Vipers a good start in the chase and were well-placed to get over the line, but Knight Riders defended 17 runs in the last two overs to register their second win in six matches while handing their opponents their first defeat in seven outings.

Vipers were off to a flying start as Holden and Zaman dominated the powerplay, scoring 53. Holden reached his fifty off 41 balls and Zaman complemented him well. The pair added 97 before Holden fell to a short delivery from Andre Russell. Zaman and Hasan Nawaz kept the chase alive, but Zaman departed six short of a fifty, giving Russell his second wicket.

After 15 overs, the Vipers required 47 off 30 balls. After being hit for a couple of sixes by Nawaz, Ajay Kumar bowled well in the death overs. The match went down to the final ball with Vipers needing a boundary, but Tom Bruce missed a slower delivery and got only a bye, handing Knight Riders a dramatic one-run victory.

Earlier, opting to bat, the Knight Riders were off to a rocky start as both openers fell cheaply. Alex Hales attempted to stabilise the innings with a 25-ball 18, but he too fell, leaving Knight Riders at 43/3 at the end of the powerplay.

Livingstone and Alishan Sharafu then came together to steady the ship, building a 50-run stand before accelerating. After Sharafu's dismissal for 39 off 35, Sherfane Rutherford joined Livingstone for an aggressive assault in the final overs. The duo added 69 runs in the last five overs. Livingstone reached his fifty off 37 balls and stayed till the penultimate delivery as Knight Riders finished with 180-plus.

Brief scores: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 181/5 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 76, Alishan Sharafu 39; Lockie Ferguson 3-34) beat Desert Vipers 180/6 in 20 overs (Max Holden 52, Fakhar Zaman 44; Andre Russell 2-16) by 1 run.