New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings were hit after a misplay with the bat by Abhishek Sharma. Sharma hit 37 off 12 balls to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to a six-wicket win over the reigning champions. Friday
Only 37 runs were scored in the last five overs as the very disciplined SRH bowlers restricted CSK to 165 for five in 20 overs.
Although CSK’s last five overs of 37 were a poor performance, young southpaw Abhishek, who has been very entertaining in the tournament, also turned heads with 37 off just 12 deliveries, including four sixes.
Aiden Markram then made SRH’s run chase successful, scoring 50 runs off 36 balls in just 18.1 overs.
Abhishek bowled a listless Mukesh Chaudhary for 27 in the first over and he scored 60 off opener Travis Head (31 off 24 balls) to take his second wicket in seven overs. The match there ended in a draw as CSK lost two consecutive away games and SRH won both home games.
CSK had a chance first, but Moeen Ali took the second delivery from Deepak Chahar. Later, 23-year-old Abhishek hit two fours and three sixes against Mukesh, who had to sit out as Mustafir Rahman left a game to return home and apply for a US visa.
Mukesh bowled his only over in his first competitive game in 16 months. Should Mustafisur return, he could probably warm up the bench again.
The ‘Master of IPL’ was hit by Abhishek for a four for a boundary and a six in the third over but his aggression remained constant as Jadeja went for a long shot.
After six overs, Head and Markram stabilized the score without taking too many chances, reaching 78 for one. Markram hit a six off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over to help SRH reach 100 runs.
Header, side kick for T. Natarajan was bowled out by Mahesh Tekshana in the 10th over but failed to add 60 runs with Markram. SRH had eight wickets in hand and needed just 59 runs in the last 10 overs. By this point the pressure had eased.
Markram scored his first fifty of the season in 14 overs as the CSK bowlers struggled to get wickets. However, the South African batsman, who captained SRH last season, was bowled by his compatriot Moeen Ali (2/23), who won SRH’s lbw check in the same over.
There was no need to hit the panic button as the Hyderabad side needed just 34 runs with five overs to spare. Moeen took the second wicket in the form of Shahbaz Ahmed (18), while Heinrich Klaasen (10 not out) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (14 not out) took SRH home.
Earlier, the CSK batsmen were restricted to less than 165 on five occasions and failed to capitalize on their start.
CSK were asked to bat on a pitch that didn’t look like conventional balls, but an in-form Shivam Dube led the way with 45 off 24 balls while veteran Ajinkya Rahane calmly scored 35. He scored from 30 balls. The best moment of CSK’s innings was the pair’s 65-run partnership for the third wicket in just 6.3 overs.
CSK scored just 37 runs in the last five overs but this could be the turning point in the game.
Admittedly, Ravindra Jadeja, CSK’s player of the season, gave the reigning champions the boost they needed with his unbeaten 31 off 23 balls in the closing stages.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
