Sunrisers Hyderabad score first win off the season
The Sunrisers Hyderabad produced their best performance of the season to thrash the Punjab Kings by nine wickets and notch their first win in the Indian Premier League 2021 in Chennai today.
A clinical bowling display was followed by a disciplined chase where Jonny Bairstow (63 off 56 balls) after an initial flourish curbed his attacking instincts to guide Hyderabad to 121. He had helped captain David Warner (37 off 37) post 73 for the first wicket. After that, the result was never in doubt.
Electing to bat first, Punjab lost captain KL Rahul first and soon that turned into a procession. Mayank Agarwal (22) and Shahrukh Khan (22) were the only ones to stick around while leg-spinner Rashid Khan harried them with turn and bounce. Left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed came away with three wickets as Punjab crawled to 210 ¬— the lowest total of the season.
Hyderabad restrict Punjab lowest total of the season
The Sunrisers Hyderabad’s best bowling performance of the season helped bowl out the Punjab Kings for 120, the lowest total in Indian Premier League 2021. Now it’s up to the Hyderabad batsmen to take them home for what would be their first win of the season.
Electing to bat first, Punjab lost captain KL Rahul first and soon that turned into a procession. Mayank Agarwal (22) and Shahrukh Khan (22) were the only ones to stick around while leg-spinner Rashid Khan harried them with turn and bounce. Left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed came away with three wickets
Smaller targets are often difficult to chase. It will need some disciplined batting from Hyderabad. And they have Kane Williamson back.
Chennai has been the Waterloo for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Having lost all the six games — including three this year — at the –M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, captain David Warner will want a miracle in Chepauk. He doesn’t need shamans and magicians, but Hyderabad will need to produce their best performance when they meet the Punjab Kings this afternoon.
Punjab are atop Hyderabad, who are at the bottom of the leaderboard. So it’s a clash of the last two teams on the table. That would be enough incentive for Hyderabad to run into form, but that would need a sturdy middle-order that badly misses Kane Williamson through injury.
No such worries for Punjab, where Nicholas Pooran’s poor form have been masked by the big-hitting of Deepak Hooda and Shahrukh Khan. But the bowling needs more teeth since Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith haven’t been incisive. So leggie Ravi Bishnoi should return in the spin-friendly Chennai pitch , where they play their first match this season.
