Sunrisers Hyderabad batters have been on a roll, and on Monday against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they were at their belligerent best. Travis Head (102) scored the fourth fastest IPL century to help his team secure a 25-run win at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after achieving the highest-ever total in the league - 287/3 in 20 overs.
SRH broke their own record of 277/3 set against Mumbai Indians last month. Red-hot Heinrich Klaasen also made it count with a quick-fire half century. Aiden Markram and Abdul Samad too joined the party. SRH hit 22 sixes, a record for most maximums in a single IPL innings. Batting all-rounder Will Jacks was RCB’s most economical bowler with an economy rate of 10.70. In reply, RCB did not go down without a fight. Their fifth defeat notwithstanding, they finished with 262/7 in 20 overs. Faf du Plessis (62) and Virat Kohli (42) got the team off to a good start, scoring 79 in the first six overs. But they lost Kohli, Jacks and Rajat Patidar quickly.
Super King's super show
Indian captain Rohit Sharma smashed a valiant century (105 not out), but, on a night when MS Dhoni turned the clock back, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube struck sizzling half-centuries and then their fit-again Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana unleashed a destructive spell of four for 28 in four overs, the Chennai Super Kings were not to be denied. Recording their maiden away win this IPL season, CSK downed MI, who will be now on the road and will play their next home game only on May 3 against the Kolkata Knight Riders, by 20 runs at the Wankhede Stadium. CSK are now third on the table with eight points, while MI are languishing at the eighth spot with four points in six matches.
Sweet victory for Knights
Kolkata Knight Riders’ overseas players came to the party on Sunday, leading the team to its first ever victory over Lucknow Super Giants at the Eden Gardens. The eight-wicket win, coming with 26 balls to spare, was a thoroughly dominating show in all departments. Phil Salt’s half-century, Mitchell Starc’s three wickets and Sunil Narine’s miserly spell all contributed to a memorable win that will put KKR into a strong position after five matches. Andre Russell’s services weren’t really called for, yet his dismissal of KL Rahul proved crucial as the LSG captain was primed for an innings much bigger than his 39. Shreyas Iyer’s side continues to occupy the second spot on the ladder, behind Rajasthan Royals, having played a game less.
Hetmyer hits Royals out of trouble
Rajasthan Royals struggled against Punjab Kings bowlers, who took the pace off the ball cleverly on a sticky pitch, but found enough steam to eke out a hardworking three-wicket win in their IPL match on Saturday. The target was a rather easy-looking 148 but a set of spot-on Punjab bowlers and a tacky surface made the task of Royals tough before they made 152/7. The Rajasthan outfit required 49 runs off the last five overs, but they had to wait till the penultimate ball of the match to get over the line despite having power-hitters like Rovman Powell (11) and Shimron Hetmyer (27 not out) in their ranks. That equation came down to 10 off the final six balls after Hetmyer hit Harshal Patel for a six and four. The West Indian left-hander then hit a couple of sixes off pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last over.
Gujarat Titans pip Rajasthan
Rajasthan Royals’s winning streak came to an end as a spirited Gujarat Titans came up with a sensational last-ball victory chasing 197 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday. The home team was poised to record their fifth successive victory but a late onslaught from Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia shattered their hopes. While Rashid remained unbeaten on 24 off 11 balls, Tewatia played a little cameo (an 11-ball 22) to guide GT to a tense three-wicket victory. There was pindrop silence in the stadium when Rashid whacked Avesh Khan over cover for a boundary when Gujarat needed two off the last ball.
Hyderabad beat Punjab
Sunrisers Hyderabad managed to fend off a late onslaught by Punjab Kings’ batsmen Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, clinching victory by a narrow margin of two runs. Chasing down 183 runs for victory, Punjab Kings fell just short, scoring 180 for 6, with Shashank Singh leading the charge with an unbeaten 46 off 25 balls. Ashutosh Sharma also played a vital role, remaining not out on 33 off 15 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar shined for Hyderabad with the ball, claiming two crucial wickets for 32 runs. Earlier, Arshdeep Singh’s impressive spell of 4/29 restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 182 for 9.
