Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) displayed a commendable performance during the match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as Pat Cummins’ men successfully chased down the 166-run target with 11 balls to spare in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on Friday.
Kolkata Knight Riders remained in their position at the summit after convincingly defeating Delhi Capitals by a staggering 105 runs in their last match while Rajasthan Royals are second with the same points but less Net Run Rate (NRR).
SRH’s second win of the season saw them coming back into the top five after staying in the bottom three due to a poor display in the earlier matches.
IPL 2024 points table
Earlier, Aiden Markram top-scored for SRH by scoring a crucial 50 that strengthened their position in the chase after a strong start provided by Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.
Sharma scored a blistering 37 off just 12 balls with the help of seven boundaries as he put SRH on top from the very first ball. Before he could reach his half-century, the 23-year-old became the victim of Deepak Chahar.
The wickets kept falling but the damage had already been done as SRH were in total control of the game. The match went to run-a-ball chase in the last few overs and it was ultimately finished by Nitish Kumar Reddy who who Chahar for a six on the first ball of the 19th over and ended the game.
Batting first, the Kings did not have the most desirable start as star opener Rachin Ravindra departed for the pavilion after scoring just 12 runs on nine balls, becoming a victim of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Soon after Ravindra walked back to the pavilion, Ruturaj Gaikwad followed him after contributing 26 runs as he fell to Shahbaz Ahmed, leaving his side 54-2 in 7.1 overs.
However, the Kings got the much-needed break after Gaikwad’s dismissal as Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube formed a crucial 65-run partnership which brought the five-time IPL winners back in the driving seat.
Despite a commendable batting display, none of the batters could complete their half-centuries as Rahane scored 35 off 30 while Dube fell five runs short of his 50 as he departed after posting 45 runs on just 24 balls.