Brief scores from PBKS vs SRH match: Punjab Kings 120/10 in 20 overs (Shahrukh Khan 22; Khaleel Ahmed 3/21, Abhishek Sharma 2/24)
Sunrisers Hyderabad 121/1 in 18.3 overs (Jonny Bairstow 63*, David Warner 37; Fabian Allen 1/22)
A commendable 9-wicket win over Punjab Kings helped Sunrisers Hyderabad put an end to their misery and seal their maiden win of the tournament.
Be it with bat or ball, Punjab never looked in a dominating position at any stage of the contest, Winning the toss and batting first, they could amass only 120 runs to their tally, with Mayank Agarwal and Shahrukh Khan being the joint-highest run-getters with 22 runs each. The entire batting order crumbled at the hands of Sunrisers, who kept the pressure intact on their rivals, bowling at the right spots, and conceding just 9 boundaries throughout the end of the first inning.
The David Warner-led side eventually wrapped up the chase, with the skipper himself contributing 37 runs to the total and Jonny Bairstow (63*) putting up a Man of the Match show to finish the innings alongside Kane Williamson (16*).
Here are the talking points from the PBKS vs SRH match –
A big letdown from Punjab’s batsmen
A scoreline of 120 from a side that has some of the most destructive cricketers in T20 cricket is indeed surprising. A few days back, Punjab had lost to Chennai after posting 106 runs on board, which is their lowest total in IPL 2021, then bounced back with the willow by scoring 190+ runs against Delhi Capitals, a match they lost because of their inability to affect dismissals. Against Sunrisers, who were yet to taste their maiden win of the season, Punjab, once again, surrendered to a low total which has cost them their third consecutive defeat in IPL 2021.
Among the openers, neither KL Rahul (4) nor Mayank Agarwal (22) could keep the scorecard ticking from an end. Nicholas Pooran (0), registered his fourth duck of the season, and neither the Caribbean legend, Chris Gayle (15) could come up with a counter-attacking total.
Punjab had already lost 4 wickets in the first ten overs, and with the likes of Deepak Hooda, Moises Henriques and Fabian Allen, losing their wickets at frequent intervals, Punjab could amass only 101 runs till 17.4 overs.
Shahrukh Khan, who struck a 17-ball 22, stitched two partnerships of 19 runs each alongside Henriques and Allen to ensure that Punjab prevented themselves from sinking at the Sunrisers’. With two overs remaining and only 110 runs on board, Shahrukh slogged on a slower delivery outside off from Khaleel Ahmed that caught him straight to Abhishek Sharma at deep mid-wicket.
Murugan Ashwin edged an off-cutter that was caught by Jonny Bairstow at the keeper’s end, which was followed by Mohammed Shami being run-out on the final delivery thereby bringing an end to their innings.
Sunrisers bundle out Punjab for their second-lowest total of the season
The Men in Orange have always been known for the bowling attack they’ve possessed. While they hadn’t conceded too many runs in the matches heading into this fixture, their batting was unable to click at the right moment which was proving to be a hurdle for David Warner & Co.
However, there was little to no pressure on Sunrisers’ batters in this outing, courtesy of the impeccable job from their bowlers, an attack led by Khaleel Ahmed (3/21), who scalped his first 3-for of the season, and spinners Rashid Khan (1/17) and Abhishek Sharma (2/24). Pacers Siddarth Kaul (1/27) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/16) couldn’t finish their quota of overs but stuck to the consistent line and lengths thereby troubling Punjab at every nook and corner of the game.
Indeed, it was one of their finest bowling exhibitions in IPL history, and while the conditions at Chepauk were tailor-made for Sunrisers, one could expect few more such performances from their end in the other venue as the tournament progresses.
Warner, Bairstow seam a 73-run stand; Sunrisers chase with 9-wickets in hand
It was a cautious approach from Sunrisers even though the chase needed just 121 runs. Just like the first innings, there weren’t many hits across the fence, with openers David Warner (37) and Jonny Bairstow (63*) striking 10 boundaries in total. While Warner paced his way at a run-a-ball, Bairstow opted for a few lofty hits to keep the chase under control.
The duo finished the powerplay at a run rate of 8.33 and added 73 runs to the opening stand before it was brought to an end by Fabian Allen. Bowling in his second over, the slow-left arm orthodox, dished a short delivery outside off that spun into Warner and forced him for an aerial pull that got him caught to Mayank Agarwal at deep mid-wicket.
Kane Williamson, who was playing his first match of the season, then added a handy 16 runs to the total to lock a 9-wicket win for the Hyderabad-based franchise with 8 balls to spare.
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