Suryakumar Yadav showcased his cricketing prowess during the showdown between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.
Suryakumar entered the fray at a crucial juncture for the Mumbai, with the team precariously placed at 31/2 following the dismissal of Rohit Sharma. Undeterred by the pressure, the 32-year-old showcased his batting brilliance, captivating the audience with an electrifying display of power hitting. By the end of the 17th over, the right-handed batter found himself close to the milestone, standing at 96 runs. With Mumbai needing just six runs off 17 balls to chase down the 174 runs target, Surya found himself facing a low full toss from T Natarajan. With nerves of steel, he went down on one knee and lofted the ball over deep wicket, not only completing his first century but also securing victory for his team.
Narine takes Kolkata to top of table
Sunil Narine’s sparkling 50 and a collective effort by the bowlers fashioned Kolkata Knight Riders’ 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants at Lucknow on Sunday. Deciding to bowl first didn’t go as per plan for LSG as KKR became the first team to cross the 200-run mark at the Ekana stadium. Proving his worth with the willow once again, Narine (81 off 38 balls) went on a six-hitting spree, blasting seven maximums and six fours to take the visitors to 235/6. Chasing an imposing total, LSG batters had to go from the word go but the hosts found it hard to get the big shots and were eventually bundled out for 137 in 16.1 overs. With the win KKR moved to the top of the table. They have 16 points, the same as Rajasthan Royals but have played one game more.
Jadeja stars in CSK win
Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja stood tall when it mattered the most for Chennai Super Kings by hitting an unbeaten 43 and taking 3-20 in a decisive middle-overs spell as the defending champions jumped to third place in the points table after beating Punjab Kings by 28 runs at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday afternoon. In the start, CSK were restricted to 167/9, thanks tight bowling by Rahul Chahar and Harshal Patel. PBKS were on course to chase down the total by reaching 62/2 in 7.5 overs. But they suffered a batting meltdown to be reduced to 90/8 and eventually ended up with 139/9. Jadeja’s spell turned the game on its head, while Simarjeet Singh and Tushar Deshpande returned with figures of 2-16 and 2-35 respectively to derail PBKS’ chase.
Challengers keep hopes alive
Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept alive their slim playoff hopes with a four-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in a low-scoring thriller on Saturday. Bengaluru pacers came to the party as Gujarat was put into bat and bowled out for 147 runs in 19.3 overs. Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis then led the way with 64 off 23 balls, as the hosts finished with 152-6 in only 13.4 overs. Virat Kohli scored 42 runs in 27 balls and shared an opening partnership of 92 with du Plessis in 5.5 overs.
Bengaluru moved off the bottom of the table with its fourth win in 11 games, and is now seventh with eight points ahead of Punjab Kings on net run-rate. It is mathematically still in contention to advance. Gujarat lost its third consecutive game and dropped to ninth in the 10-team table. It also has eight points and potentially can still make the playoffs.
Royals fall one run short
Sunrisers Hyderabad held their nerve to topple table-toppers Rajasthan Royals by one run on Thursday. Sunrisers posted a challenging 201/3, thanks to half-centuries from Nitish Kumar Reddy (76) and Travis Head (58). However, Yashasvi Jaiswal (67) and Riyan Parag (77) almost came to haunt the hosts as the duo added 135 runs for the third wicket. Sunrisers staged a late comeback through the brilliance of Bhuvneshwar (3/41), Pat Cummins (2/34) and T Natarajan (2/35) to restrict the Royals to 200/7. Needing 27 off three overs, Natarajan and Cummins gave away seven runs and picked up a wicket each in the 18th and 19th overs respectively. Powell scored 10 runs off four balls and needed two off the last ball for victory. However, Bhuvneshwar trapped Powell in front to give his side crucial two points.
