SRH has looked like a near-perfect squad batting first this season, but they have frequently collapsed while chasing totals. The chase for 215 began in a similar manner, with Arshdeep Singh bowling a peach of a delivery to dismiss Travis Head. However, comeback players Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma tucked into Punjab bowlers.
With his amazing bat-swing, Abhishek smashed six sixes, bringing his season total to 41, the most thus far.
Punjab attempted to restrict the collaboration with slower ones, but it failed. By the time Harshal Patel found Tripathi, the harm had already been done.
Nitish and Klaasen rehearse range-hitting.
In between overs, Nitish Reddy’s swing made contact with the ball, which flew into the stands. The youthful all-arounder established a good balance between attack and defense, ensuring that SRH maintained its momentum even after the powerplay.
Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish’s partner in the middle phase, went out to a big roar from the audience and did not disappoint. The South African appeared to be trying his six-hitting abilities. As soon as a spinner was introduced, Klaasen shifted his weight to the backfoot and attacked the long-on spot.
After a while, the South African displayed controlled aggression, bringing the hosts close before being bowled while attempting a scoop shot against Harpreet Brar. But Sanvir Singh struck the boundary to give SRH their sixth home win of the season.
Throughout the season, the Punjab opener has threatened to provide a blazing performance. Prabhsimran and Atharva Taide forged a 97-run opening partnership, putting SRH under strain.
While the left-handed Taide depended heavily on time, Prabhsimran cleared his left leg to get access to the leg side. Anything thrown up was hit over the midwicket zone, and he occasionally played a few sly scoops.
On a surface with no movement, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pat Cummins were either too full or too short. T Natrajan made the initial breakthrough, getting Taide in the tenth over. Rilee Rossouw, the lone overseas Punjab player in the XI, did his part. His timely appearance added energy to the innings.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 214/5 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran 71, Rossouw 49, Taide 46; Natarajan 2/33) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 215/6 in 19.5 overs (Abhishek 66, Klaasen 42) by 4 wickets.
