Royal Challengers Bengaluru players Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar are seen in action during the Indian Premier League 2024 match in Hyderabad on April 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: R. Ragu

Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a stunning all-round performance to upset crowd-favourite Sunrisers Hyderabad, registering a 35-run victory in their IPL league match, at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Thursday.

The visitors’ performance also served a reminder that the SRH batting line-up can be brittle in the face of accurate, if not unplayable, bowling and also raised hopes for other teams as the championship heads for the business-end.

Chasing 207 for victory, the home team was straightaway under pressure with Will Jacks inducing a poor stroke from the dangerous Impact Player Travis Head off the sixth ball of the innings.

Soon, fellow-opener Abhishek Sharma’s cameo ended, mistiming a pull off Yash Dayal only to be caught behind, before SRH’s Impact Player, the left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh, trapped Aiden Markram leg-before with a low full-toss.

RCB was back on top again when Heinrich Klaasen, who had hit the previous ball from Swapnil for a six over long-on, perished trying to repeat the stroke off the next.

Later, leg-spinner Karn Sharma had Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled, missing a reverse sweep, and then took a smart return catch to send back the dangerous Abdul Samad to reduce SRH to 85 for six in 9.1 overs. The rest of the innings was a formality as RCB notched up a much-needed victory.

Coming good

Earlier, Rajat Patidar’s brilliance at the top of the order, an unusually slow half-century by Virat Kohli, and a cameo in the final overs by Cameron Green helped Royal Challengers score a challenging 206 for seven.

Though Kohli struggled to get going after all his boundaries came within the first six overs, Patidar compensated by scoring a 20-ball half-century that included four sixes off leg-spinner Mayank Markande in the 11th over of the innings.

Jaydev Unadkat was the pick of the SRH bowlers with a three-wicket haul, including the prize scalps of Patidar and Kohli. RCB scored 64 runs from the last five overs, mainly due to some lusty blows from Green.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head in action during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Delhi Capitals in New Delhi on April 20, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Riding on explosive starts, Sunrisers Hyderabad may have won four games on the bounce this IPL season, but their swashbuckling opener Travis Head says “we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves.” Sunrisers Hyderabad crushed Delhi Capitals by 67 runs in their most recent match in New Delhi on April 20, following sensational knocks from their in-form openers Travis Head (89) and Abhishek Sharma (46).

SRH have made a habit of posting big totals this season, going past 260 for the third time on Saturday.

“It is very enjoyable. It is nice to be here and play well, and it is hard not to smile and enjoy yourself with the batting order that we have got, and the order is working well through the first seven, so it is very enjoyable,” Head told JioCinema.

Batting first, Hyderabad scored their fourth 200+ innings this edition by scoring 266 runs, while Delhi were bowled out for 199 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This was SRH’s fifth win of the season.

Head also spoke on SRH’s momentum and positive energy around the team.

“We will take it easy for a minute. I think it was Murali’s (Muttiah Muralitharan) birthday a couple of days ago, so we have a party for him tomorrow night, so that will be enjoyable.

“I think it’s a nice group, we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves. Obviously, we are excited. We have got four wins on the bounce now, we are playing well, and the energy is always better when you are winning.

“The environment is really good. That’s what Dan (Daniel Vettori) and Pat Cummins are going to bring. If there is a loss here or there, a couple of poor performances, that’s okay. We are showing how good we can be.

“As long as we can keep instilling that confidence around how well we are playing, I guess the ceiling is as high as it wants to be,” Head said.

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan praised Jake Fraser-McGurk (65 runs) and T Natarajan (4/19).

Jake Fraser-McGurk raised hopes of an improbable win for DC with his blazing innings.

“Today, the line was way outside the off-stump. He has shown that he can open up that area as well and put bowlers under pressure, especially when he is able to generate power on his shots on the back foot to get the ball over the ropes.

“I mean, everyone’s noticing his talent and keeping an eye on him, and how he is going to evolve with experience,” Zaheer said.

Chennai Super Kings Shivam Dube plays a shot during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad on April 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

An inspired collective bowling performance from its pacers, followed by Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram’s fireworks with the bat, ensured Sunrisers Hyderabad coasted to an easy six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Friday.

Sunrisers’s four-pronged pace attack restricted CSK to just 165 for five on a slow surface after electing to field. The Hyderabad bowlers quickly assessed the conditions, bowling into the pitch with a mix of cutters and slow bouncers, taking pace off their deliveries.

SRH vs CSK Live Score IPL 2024

Defending a modest total, Super Kings got off the wrong foot when Moeen Ali dropped Travis Head off the second ball at first slip. It was a sign of things to come as Abhishek tore apart the Chennai bowling attack in the PowerPlay with a 12-ball 37 (3×4, 4×6).

The left-hander smashed Mukesh Choudhary for three sixes and two boundaries as 27 came off the second over. He then hit Deepak Chahar for a six and four before the bowler got the better of him, but not before doing substantial damage. Travis Head (31) and Aiden Markram (50, 36b, 4×4, 1×6) then did not take their foot off the pedal as they made short work of the Chennai bowlers to take their team past 100 in the ninth over.

Though the defending champion fought back with three quick wickets, SRH was well ahead by then and got over the line with 11 balls to spare to get its second win. It was surprising why the CSK think-tank failed to employ the spinners — it had four in its ranks — earlier than it did.

Earlier, the Super Kings batters struggled for rhythm and played out 39 dot balls as Pat Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept a tight leash on scoring.

Only Shivam Dube infused some life into his side’s batting effort with a quickfire 45 (24b, 2×4, 4×6). Dube got going by hitting Shahbaz for a six and four.

In the next over, he took on leggie Mayank Markande, clubbing him through covers for a four before a slog-swept six over square leg. He then hit left-arm pacer T. Natarajan for consecutive sixes over the leg side.

But once Cummins got Dube with a slow bouncer, the boundaries dried up as CSK managed just 38 off the last five and slumped to its second defeat.