Abhishek Sharma bossed Punjab Kings bowlers with yet another explosive half-century as Sunrisers Hyderabad cruised to a four-wicket win in the IPL in Hyderabad on Sunday. Opting to bat on a flat track, Punjab Kings posted an imposing 214/5 riding on Prabhsimran Singh’s 45-ball 71 and skipper Jitesh Sharma’s final over heroics. But SRH looked in complete control of the tall chase after losing Travis Head off the first ball and chased down the target with five balls to spare.

The win took them second place in the table with 17 points from 14 matches as they would need to wait for the result for the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.

Rajasthan, who have 16 points, can topple SRH for the prized No 2 spot with a win over KKR in Guwahati.

Finishing inside top-two gives the teams an extra chance of making the final.

Abhishek went about his business with utmost nonchalance for a 21-ball fifty, his third half-century of the season.

He smoked six sixes and five boundaries in his knock of 66 from 28 balls to completely tilt the equation in their favour.

Henrich Klaasen (42) Rahul Tripathi (33) and Nitish Reddy (37) made handy contribution in their complete domination act.

Shashank Singh dismissed Abhishek against the run of play with the batter getting beaten by a slower ball and ended up gifting a catch to Shivam Singh at covers.

But with SRH in top gear at 129/2 at the midway stage, the chase was just a formality and Klaasen continued their strong momentum, slamming three fours and two sixes.

Looking to seal the chase, the South African wicketkeeper-batter was bowled by Harpreet Brar in the final over.

But by then, SRH just needed seven runs from 10 balls and Sanvir Singh sealed the issue with a four in the first ball of the final over.

Earlier Arshdeep gave SRH an early blow, cleaning up the dangerous Travis Head for a golden duck.

After losing a wicket of the first ball, SRH showed little sign of panic with Rahul Tripathi seizing the momentum in a 18-ball 33.

Playing only his second match of the season, Tripathi took Rishi Dhawan to clearners with two fours and one six in a row that set the tone for their tall chase.

Abhishek then came on his own, smashing Arshdeep for two fours and one six as the duo continued their assault dealing only in boundaries to cruise to 50 in four overs.

Harshal Patel leaked 22 runs in his first over but returned with a wicket, dismissing Tripathi with a slower ball.

But with 72/2 in five overs, there was no looking back for SRH when Klaasen came to the party to record their third highest powerplay score of 84/2.

The new look opening pair of Prabhsimran and Vidarbha’s Atharva Taide put on 97 runs from 55 balls as PBKS did well to see through the power play without losing a wicket.

Prabhsimran smashed seven fours and four sixes for his 45-ball 71, while Taide will regret missing out on a fifty after being dismissed for a well-made 46 off just 27 balls.

Taide hit five fours and two sixes and after his departure, Prabhsimran in the company of Rilee Rossouw as the duo put together 54 off 32 balls to keep the momentum going in the middle overs.

It looked a one-way traffic at 151/1 in 14 overs when leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (1/37) dismissed the set batter Prabhsimran off a quicker delivery that took a faint edge and Klaasen did well to take a one-handed catch behind the stumps.

Cummins (1/36) ended his spell taking the wicket Rossouw one run shy of a half-century in the 18th over that left two new batters at the crease — Jitesh Sharma and Ashutosh Sharma.

T Natarajan (2/33) then did well to remove the inform Ashutosh in the penultimate over.

PBKS went on to lose four wickets for 44 runs in five overs before the stand-in skipper Jitesh’s last over assault took them to a fighting total.

Jitesh (32*) finished with two sixes against Nitish Kumar Reddy in a 20-run final over.

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings IPL 2024 LIVE Updates© BCCI

File photo of MS Dhoni.© BCCI

Jitesh Sharma in action© BCCI

High on confidence after making their first playoffs in three years, Sunrisers Hyderabad will aim for a second-place finish in the IPL points table when they take on Punjab Kings in their final league game in Hyderabad on May 19.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Sunrisers Hyderabad, which has already qualified for the playoffs, takes on a depleted Punjab Kings in its last IPL league match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad on May 19 afternoon.

Sunrisers, with 15 points from 13 outings, should look to claim full points against a team which will not have the services of key players like Sam Curran, who led the team in the absence of injured Shikhar Dhawan, and hard-hitting Jonny Bairstow in what should be yet another good IPL wicket if the weather stays clear.

Importantly, the home side played its last game on May 8 when it drubbed Lucknow Super Giants by 10 wickets and with many players taking a long break, it will be interesting to see how quickly they regain the momentum ahead of the playoffs.

Imposing batters

For most of the league so far, Sunrisers relied heavily on the imposing batting line-up. And, to its delight, the senior pro Bhuvneshwar Kumar was back at his best in the last few games, providing the crucial breakthroughs in the company of captain Pat Cummins and left-armers T. Natarajan and Jaydev Unadkat.

On form, it should be an easy outing for the Cummins’ men against PBKS.

On the other hand, Kings’ pacers Arshdeep Singh, and Harshal Patel — who is the leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets in the IPL this season — hold the key in keeping a check on the run-flow with leggie Rahul Chahar expected to raise the bar.

In batting, Kings badly need the likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, captain Jitesh Sharma, and Ashutosh Sharma to score big for the bowlers to have a go.

Teams (from):

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Upendra Yadav (wk), Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Agarwal.

Punjab Kings: Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jitesh Sharma (c & wk), Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.

Match starts at 3:30pm IST.

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson wants his team to accept “failures” and urged individuals to raise their hand and display brilliance as the business end of the IPL starts next week. Despite four defeats on trot, Royals, courtesy their superb show during first half of the tourney are on 16 points and through to the play-offs once Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. “To be very honest, we have to sit back and accept that we are going through some failures,” Samson told at post-match presentation ceremony after losing to Punjab Kings by five wickets.

“You have to find out what’s not working well as a team. When you are getting to the business end, we need someone to raise their finger up and say I am going to win the game for the team,” Samson said.

The skipper believes that there is enough talent in the team which can show individual spark under pressure.

“We have the players who can do that if all of us try that. It’s a team sport, but this is the time when we need individual players to step up.” He felt that 144 for 9 was a below-par batting effort.

“We were expecting wicket to be a touch better. I think it’s not a 140-kind of a wicket, we should have got around 160. I think that’s where we lost the game.” With wickets falling at regular intervals, Royals were forced to use Donovan Ferreira as an Impact Sub and missed a bowler.

“Would have been nicer to have one more bowling option, gets a little tough when you have just five. But I am used to it. And we have quality five bowlers.”

Punjab Kings skipper Sam Curran, who also won ‘Player of the Match’ award for his unbeaten 63 runs and two wickets with the ball spoke about the positives from the tournament despite finishing ninth. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the season, thoroughly enjoyed captaining. Quite frustrating to leave, but obviously excited about the World Cup,” said Curran, who won’t play the last game.

“Over the next few seasons, if we can keep some of the really good players, we can go better. Lots of positives. The chase against KKR. Shashank Singh has been amazing, Ashutosh (Sharma) in his debut season. Harshal and Arshdeep have done well as well.”

Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult during RR vs PBKS IPl 2024 match in Guwahati.© X (formerly Twitter)

Skipper Sam Curran played the lead act hitting a well-paced fifty and taking two wickets, as Punjab Kings consigned Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket defeat in their IPL match in Guwahati on Wednesday. The target was a mere 145, but Kings made heavy weather of it on a sluggish track here but Curran (63 not out, 41b, 5×4, 3×6) had a calm head and skills to lift them to their fifth win of the season. PBKS made 145/5 in 18.5 overs. The Englishman received good support from Jitesh Sharma (22, 20b) as the pair added 63 runs in a fluent fifth wicket partnership.

For Royals, it was their fourth defeat on the trot, but they remained second on the table with 16 points with a qualification to the playoffs to boot with.

The Kings’ chase began on a shaky note as they lost Prabhsimran Singh in the first over itself to Trent Boult.

But bigger jolts were in store as an impressive Avesh Khan (2/28) scalped two wickets in the fifth over.

The right-arm pacer first plucked the important wicket of Rilee Rossouw, who played some strong shots in his 13-ball 22, and then jettisoned in-form Shashank Singh for a two-ball naught.

Shashank failed to connect a fuller, straighter one from Avesh while attempting a flick, and the 141 kmph delivery thudded on his bat. Shashank did not even bother to use DRS as he walked away.

Punjab gained some ground through the alliance between Curran and Jitesh, who smoked R Ashwin for two sixes.

Curran too gave a dose of punishment to the veteran offie, lofting him for a wonderful six over extra cover.

But the blossoming stand was snapped by Yuzvendra Chahal (2/31), leaving PBKS at 111 for five in the 16th over.

However, Curran and Ashutosh Sharma (17 not out, 11 balls) knocked off the remaining runs without further drama.

Earlier, despite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, RR struggled against an array of accurate bowlers on a rather slow pitch, meandering to a sub-par 144 for nine.

R Ashwin (28, 19b, 3×4, 1×6) and Parag (48, 34, 6×4) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket but it could only bring in a temporary momentum for RR.

In fact, lethargy had set in very early in the Rajasthan innings after the early loss of Jaiswal, who chopped a Curran (2/24) delivery back on to his stumps.

Sanju Samson (18), who went past 500-run in a season for the first time in his IPL career, and Tom-Kohler Cadmore (18, 23b) stitched 36 runs for the second wicket but took six overs for it.

But with Curran and Arshdeep finding a hint of swing and maintaining a good line, scoring was not an easy proposition for the RR batters.

Eventually, Samson, who tried a hopping cut off pacer Nathan Ellis, gave a simple catch to Rahul Chahar at point in the seventh over.

Cadmore too returned to the dugout in the next over, as his almighty heave off leg-spinner Chahar (2/26) could not progress beyond Jitesh in the deep.

Those twin dismissals actually paved the way for the best phase in the Royals’ innings as Ashwin and Parag pressed their foot on the right pedal.

Ashwin displayed his batting skills, smashing Chahar for 17 runs in the 12th over that included a sequence of 6, 4, 4 and the first four was a stunning reverse scoop over backward point.

But he could not further extend his innings, lofting Arshdeep to Shashank.

Parag, usually a free-flowing batter, had to curb his flair in front of a hugely adoring home crowd because of the regular fall of wickets at the other end.

But a late cut off Curran that sped to third man stood as a testament of his ability and timing as he also moved past the 500-run mark for the season, before getting trapped in front of the wicket by Harshal Patel.

However, apart from conquering those little peaks the RR batters failed to slip into the top gear consistently.

IPL 2024, Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings LIVE Updates© BCCI

Riyan Parag is expected to get a grand welcome from his home fans when Rajasthan Royals try to ensure a safe passage into the IPL play-offs against the ousted Punjab Kings
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

In keeping with its vision of accelerating socio-economic growth in north-east India through cricket, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) caravan has shifted base to Guwahati for its last two home games in the league stage of the Indian Premier League.

On Wednesday, RR is set to go up against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Although PBKS has already crashed out, RR can seal a Playoff spot with a win at the Barsapara Stadium after three consecutive defeats.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore will fill in for compatriot Jos Buttler in the RR playing eleven, with the England captain having flown out to join his national side ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan and T20 World Cup. PBKS is yet to find replacements for Kagiso Rabada and Liam Livingstone, who have returned home with injuries.

Flat track

A flat bed is expected to be doled out at the venue, which has only two IPL games to show for prior to the upcoming fixture. The track may exhibit a hint of dryness that would be expected to aid bowlers inside the PowerPlay with additional movement.

Although one could be in for yet another run-fest, given the shorter fences and dew factor, much of the contest would hinge on the death bowling, a department in which the Kings have been a cut above the rest. The side has picked 36 wickets between the 16th and 20th over in 2024. The closest rival, Delhi Capitals, is seven short of the said mark. RR has merely accounted for 22.

Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh’s pyrotechnics in the death have on more than one occasion saved PBKS the blushes. The left-arm angle and pace of Nandre Burger should be a good match-up to prematurely stop the deadly right-handed duo before they can get their eye in.

Squads:

Punjab Kings: Sam Curran (c), Matthew Short, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Jos Buttler (wk), Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.

Match starts: 7:30pm IST.