PBKS vs SRH Review: Sunrisers survive a blow as Shashank, Ashutosh’s efforts went in vain
Sunrisers Hyderabad took on Punjab Kings in Match 23 of the Indian Premier League 2024 on Tuesday. PBKS won the toss and decided to bowl first at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh. Travis Head (21 off 15) and Abhishek Sharma (16 off 11) struggling at the start gave a preview of the pitch. Aiden Markram (0 off 2) and Rahul Tripathi (11 off 14) departed early before Nitish Reddy (64 off 37) and Abdul Samad (25 off 12) did the toiling. Heinrich Klaasen (9 off 9) looked dull but Shahbaz Ahmad (14*off 7) played a little cameo to help SRH post 182/9 on board.
As PBKS turned out to chase, Jonny Bairstow (0 off 3) got out on his third ball and Parbhsimran Singh (4 off 6) followed suit. Shikhar Dhawan (14 off 16) could not get the required boundaries and PBKS were 20/3. Sam Curran (29 off 22) and Sikandar Raza (28 off 22) forged a 38-run stand. Shashank Singh (46* off 25) waged a lone battle as Jitesh Sharma (19 off 11) contributed little. Ashutosh Sharma (33* off 15) appeared a tad late for Punjab as SRH won the game by two runs.
Top Performers of the Match:
Nitish Reddy (64 off 37)
Nitish Reddy was the pick of the batters on the day. The other batters sensing demons, either perished early or played cautiously. But Reddy carried the weight of the team and provided SRH the much-needed momentum. He garnered 23 runs off Harpreet Brar’s over and changed the phase of the game from there. He smashed five maximums and four boundaries. The 20-year-old’s strike rate of 172.95 spoke volumes of his batting prowess.
Pat Cummins (1 for 22)
Pat Cummins displayed why he has been successful as a captain. He promoted himself in the bowling. Rather than bowling as a first change, he created impact straight away in the powerplay. He cleaned up Bairstow in his very first over and started PBKS’ downfall. He was at his miser best, as he conceded runs at an economy rate of 5.50. This further added to the Punjab’s woes. While Cummins ended on the right side of the result, the performance of Arshdeep Singh from the opponent camp deserves a notable mention. Arshdeep bagged a four-for with his change of pace and variations, bamboozling the batters although in a losing cause.
What’s next for both teams?
Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 30 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 15. Punjab Kings will clash with Rajasthan Royals in Match 27 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh on April 13.
