Hyderabad: David Warner (81, 56b, 7×4, 2×6) and bowlers helped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) register an emphatic 45-run win over Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in their IPL encounter here, Monday.
Chasing a massive target of 213 runs, KXIP got a big blow when Khaleel Ahmed (3/40) removed West Indian Chris Gayle in the third over. However, the other opener KL Rahul (79, 56b, 4×4, 5×6) and Mayank Agarwal (27) resurrected KXIP innings with a 60-run partnership for the second wicket before Nicolas Pooran (21) too got out in search of some big hits.
Rashid Khan (3/21) then gave the visitors a twin blow when he removed David Miller and Ravichandran Ashwin in successive deliveries to reduce the 107/5 at the end of 13 overs.
Rahul tried to take KXIP close to target with some big hits, which was not enough, and he too departed while doing so as KXIP ended up scoring 167/8.
Earlier, Warner signed off his IPL 2019 campaign in style, notching up his eight fifty of the season to guide SRH to a commanding 212/6.
Playing his last match of the season before heading home for World Cup preparations, Warner played a belligerent knock to complete his IPL 2019 campaign with 692 runs, the highest so far in the tournament.
Warner and Wriddhiman Saha (28) got Sunrisers off to a brisk start after being sent into bat. The duo took the KXIP bowlers to the cleaners to pile up 77 runs in the powerplay.
Warner made his intentions clear from the onset, hitting young Arshdeep Singh for two boundaries in the opening over and then followed it up with a six over long-off in Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s next over.
Saha then went after Mohammed Shami (2/36) and hit the pacer for a boundary and six off consecutive balls. Saha’s innings came to an end when he under-edged a Murugan Ashwin (1/32) delivery to debutant Prabhsimran Singh behind the stumps. Saha shared 78 runs off 6.2 overs with Warner for the opening stand.
Then came in in-form Manish Pandey (36, 25b, 3×4, 1×6) and he too played a quick knock in Warner’s company. Pandey added 82 off 55 balls along with Warner before KXIP skipper Ashwin (2/20) struck twin blows in the 16th over to remove both the set batsmen.
First Ashwin accounted for Pandey and then two balls later dismissed Warner, caught by Mujeeb at point of what was a tired-looking shot. Then skipper Kane Williamson (14) and Mohammad Nabi (20) also played short cameos towards the end.
Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 212/6 (David Warner 81, Manish Pandey 36; R Ashwin 2/30, Mohammed Shami 2/36) bt Kings XI Punjab 167/8 (KL Rahul 79; Rashid Khan 3/21, Khaleel Ahmed 3/40) by 45 runs.
