SRH vs PBKS IPL 2024 Match Report: Sunrisers bag second spot in points table after beating Punjab Kings by 4 wickets

Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma plays a shot during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, in Hyderabad, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (PTI Photo) (PTI05_19_2024_000283B)

Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched a thrilling victory over Punjab Kings by 4 wickets in a high-octane clash. Abhishek Sharma led the charge with a blistering 66, ably supported by Klaasen's 42, as they successfully chased down a challenging target of 215 runs set by Punjab Kings.

The chase didn't start on a bright note for Sunrisers Hyderabad as Travis Head departed for a duck off the very first delivery, courtesy of a brilliant delivery from Arshdeep Singh. However, Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi steadied the ship, propelling the team to 72/2 at the end of 5 overs, with Tripathi falling for 33 off a delivery from Harshal Patel. By the end of the powerplay, Sunrisers were positioned at 84/2 after 6 overs.

Abhishek Sharma showcased his prowess by reaching his fifty in just 21 balls. At the halfway mark, Sunrisers Hyderabad stood at 129/2, requiring 86 runs off the remaining 60 balls to seal the victory. However, Sharma's innings was cut short at 66 off 28 balls, providing a breakthrough for Punjab Kings through Shashank Singh. Harshal Patel struck again, dismissing Nitish Reddy for 37, leaving Sunrisers at 176/4 after 14 overs.

Despite losing wickets, Sunrisers remained in contention, reaching 189/4 after 16 overs, needing 26 runs off the final 24 balls. However, they suffered another setback as Shahbaz departed for 3 runs, leaving them at 198/5 after 17 overs. In a tense finish, Sunrisers Hyderabad held their nerve and secured the victory by 4 wickets, successfully chasing down the target set by Punjab Kings.

FIRST INNINGS

Punjab Kings got off to a flying start with a cracking opening stand between Prabhsimran and Taide, racking up a solid 97 runs on the board. Prabhsimran, in particular, blazed his way to a well-deserved fifty. Rossouw also joined the party with a brilliant knock of 49. Thanks to these stellar performances, Punjab Kings posted a formidable total of 214/5 after their allotted 20 overs.

In a clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bat first. Prabhsimran Singh and Atharva Taide formed a formidable opening duo. Despite a slow start, they managed to steer Punjab Kings to 47 without loss at the end of 5 overs. By the end of the powerplay, they had accelerated to 61 runs without losing a wicket in 6 overs.

However, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed to break the partnership in the 10th over when Natarajan dismissed Atharva Taide for a well-played 46, leaving Punjab Kings at 97/1. Prabhsimran Singh reached his half-century in just 33 balls. The twelfth over turned out to be a nightmare for Sunrisers as Nitish Reddy leaked 20 runs, propelling Punjab Kings to 129/1 by the end of the 12th over.

Prabhsimran's innings eventually came to an end when he was caught by Klaasen at 71 off 45 balls. Punjab Kings stood at 151/2 after 14.3 overs. A miscommunication between the batsmen led to the run-out of Shashank Singh for 1 run. Rilee Rossouw played a blistering innings, scoring 49 runs off just 24 balls before getting dismissed, with Punjab Kings at 181/4.

Punjab Kings concluded their innings with a commanding total of 214/5 at the conclusion of their 20 overs. Now, Sunrisers Hyderabad needs to chase down 215 runs to secure two points and climb up the points table.