For Sunrisers Hyderabad to win, they need their captain Kane Williamson to score. In the first two matches that he did not come good with the bat, scoring only 2 and 16, Sunrisers lost.
When he scored 32 against Chennai Super Kings two nights ago, SRH registered their maiden win in this tournament. And, at the same venue, DY Patil Stadium on Monday night against Gujarat Titans, the 31-year-old New Zealander scored a responsible 57 (46b, 2x4, 4x6) to star in SRH’s second successive victory, by eight wickets.
Williamson paced his innings neatly. He and his opening partner Abhishek Sharma were cautious against the new ball bowlers Md Shami and Hardik Pandya. They took time to settle down even, posting only 11 in four overs.
Williamson showed his first signs of aggression in the fifth over when Shami bowled short for the Kiwi to pull to mid-wicket for four. Shami followed it with a bouncer that was handsomely hooked for six by Williamson.
The New Zealander making use of the field restrictions and hitting boundaries encouraged Sharma to play his shots. Four fours from the young Indian including three consecutive ones through the off side against Lockie Ferguson in the sixth over kept SRH in the fray.
Even as the field spread, Williamson was not in a hurry, only despatching loose deliveries to the fence. Playing the anchor’s role to perfection, Williamson did not take his eyes off the required run rate.
Hardik Pandya, coming back for his second spell of one over in the 13th, bowled two short deliveries. Williamson top-edged a hook high and long over the wicketkeeper’s head. He followed this with another authoritative hook over fine leg for a second consecutive six, keeping SRH right on track in their run chase.
Williamson reached his 18th IPL fifty in his 67th match, all for SRH, with a majestic scoop behind the wicket off fellow New Zealander Ferguson for six. Williamson seemed to be dealing only in sixes as four of them, and only one four, decorated his chanceless first fifty runs. After another classic drive through the off side for four, Williamson fell to a tired-looking shot, caught at long on off his opposite number Pandya in his last over.
By then, SRH needed only 34 runs in 23 deliveries, which were accomplished without difficulty by Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram. For the manner in which Williamson guided his team to victory, there was no other contender for the man of the match award.
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