IPL 2020: SRH vs KXIP Review – Sensational Kings XI choke Sunrisers to defend 126

A completely different Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) unit is playing the second half of the IPL season it seems. They are fighting till the very end and are coming out victorious every time and this time, they have literally got out of the jail against Sunrisers Hyderabad. After being invited to bat first, KXIP batsmen struggled from the word go despite a good start from the openers.

Nicholas Pooran batted till the end to have some chance to hit the boundaries. But even he managed to score only a couple of fours during his unbeaten 32 off 28 balls. SRH bowlers, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan and Sandeep Sharma picked two wickets each to restrict KXIP to just 126 runs in their 20 overs.

SRH were expected to literally canter to victory. Their openers, especially David Warner, started the same way smashing 56 runs in the powerplay. The SRH skipper scored 35 off 20 balls but once he got out, the innings lost all its momentum. From 56/0, they were reduced to 67/3 first and then followed a partnership from Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar as the duo took the team to 100.

With 28 needed in the last four overs, it was just a matter of time before SRH got over the line. But Chris Jordan and Arshdeep Singh made sure that they created panic in the opposition camp. Manish Pandey got out in the 17th over and then Vijay Shankar followed in the next over and SRH never really recovered.

It was a tough pitch for new batsmen to come and hit right away and SRH choked in the end to lose the game by 12 runs.

Top Performers:

Turning Point:

Manish Pandey’s wicket: 28 runs off the last 4 overs with two of India’s international level players in the middle. Surely, it was SRH’s game to lose and they lost it. And the credit of the same has to go KXIP’s substitute fielder Jagadeesha Suchith who timed his jump perfectly to grab a stunner straight down the ground and send back Pandey in the 17th over. The wicket inflicted the collapse and SRH lost six more wickets for just 14 runs.

Records/Personal Milestones

Sandeep Sharma completed 100 wickets in the IPL

This is David Warner’s first loss as captain against KXIP.

Way Ahead

KXIP next face KKR on Monday in Sharjah which is an extremely crucial game for both the teams while SRH will take on Delhi Capitals in Dubai on Tuesday.