Sunrisers Hyderabad snapped Gujarat Titans' three-match winning streak with a eight-wicket win in the Indian Premier League, with captain Kane Williamson leading from the front with a solid 57 while Nicholas Pooran gave the finishing touches with a late flourish on Monday. Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 50 had taken Gujarat Titans to 162 for 7 after being sent in to bat, but that was never going to be enough, as Williamson, who struck his first fifty of the season, anchored the Sunrisers' chase, as they crossed the line in 19.1 overs. Sunrisers thus recorded their second consecutive win after defeating Chennai Super Kings on Saturday last, while it was the Titan's first defeat after a hat-trick of wins. Earlier, Captain Pandya's responsible 50 not out off 42 balls helped Gujarat Titans post a competitive 162 for 7 after a top-order failure.
RR beat LSG by three runs
Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by three runs in the IPL match on Sunday. Electing to bowl, LSG produced a fine bowling effort before Shimron Hetmyer struck a fluent fifty to help RR post 165 for six. Hetmyer remained unbeaten on 59 off 36 balls to take RR to the total after they were at 67 for four at one stage. Krishnappa Gowtham (2/30) and Jason Holder (2/50) shared four wickets between them for LSG. Chasing the total, RR restricted LSG to 162 for eight.
Delhi return to winning ways
Openers Prithvi Shaw and David Warner’s fearless batting laid the foundation as Delhi Capitals outbatted Kolkata Knight Riders by 44 runs to notch up their second win in the IPL here on Sunday.
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer’s decision to invite Delhi Capitals for batting first in backfired as they piled up 215 for five riding on half-centuries from Shaw (51) and Warner (61). In reply, KKR were all-out for 171 in 19.4 overs and it was left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s evening at the Brabourne Stadium as he exacted sweet revenge against a franchise that didn’t treat him too well during his stint as his career came to a halt.
Fourth straight loss for Chennai
Chennai Super Kings suffered its fourth straight loss and gave the first win to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Abhishek, a 21-year-old left-hander, played an innings of pure class on a pitch where shot-making wasn’t easy as SRH ran away to an eight-wicket win with 16 balls to spare. The back-of-the-length delivery on this DY Patil pitch was stopping just a bit and when CSK managed 154-7, one felt it would shape up into quite a game. But Abhishek (75 off 50 balls) was mentored by the great Kane Williamson in the middle and the two put up 89 for the opening-wicket stand in 12.1 overs that all but took the game away from CSK.
Winless streak gets longer for MI
For a team brimming with talent, most of Mumbai Indians’ batting line-up has been turning up with a cold bat. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday night it was no different. Amidst the ruins, Suryakumar Yadav stood tall with a 37-ball unconquered 68 which helped the former champions to 151/6 in 20 overs at the MCA stadium in Pune. But matches are hardly won on individual brilliance as Faf du Plessis’ men handed the struggling five-time champions a sevenwicket defeat. The loss, their fourth consecutive this IPL season, leaves Mumbai in danger of making an early exit. While MI batsmen struggled, RCB had no such trouble as they closed out the match at 152/3 with nine balls to spare.
Karthik brings RCB back from the brink
A sensational display of hitting from Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed helped Royal Challengers Bangalore recover from a mini batting collapse and record a four-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals Tuesday. Jos Buttler hammered half a dozen sixes in his unbeaten 70 off 47 balls as Rajasthan Royals grafted their way to 169 for three after RCB opted to bowl. Losing four wickets in a space off 11 balls, RCB were in all sorts of trouble at 62 for four before Karthik (44 not out off 23 balls) and Ahmed (45 off 26) took the game away from the opposition with a 67-run partnership off just 33 balls. Karthik eventually got the team home in 19.1 overs. It was RCB’s second win in three games while it was the first loss of the season for the Royals after consecutive victories.
