SCORCHING SUNRISERS SEND KNIGHTS PACKING
The sun rose for Hyderabad while Kolkata disappeared into the night. The Sunrisers Hyderabad became the final team to punch their ticket for the IPL playoffs following a comprehensive victory over already qualified Mumbai Indians in Sharjah on Tuesday night.
The 2016 champions hardly broke a sweat as they made short work of a modest target of 150 set by the defending champions, winning by 10 wickets and with 17 deliveries to spare.
The victory in the last league fixture at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium saw David Warner’s side pinch the last berth from Kolkata Knight Riders on net run rate after both teams finished on 14 points each.
The Trevor Bayliss-coached Sunrisers will lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator in Abu Dhabi on Friday night, while the Mumbai Indians square off against the Delhi Capitals in Dubai on Thursday night.
The victory came about through the openers Warner and Wriddhiman Saha, who guided them home without a hiccup.
Warner unfurled an unbeaten 85 from 58 deliveries with 10 boundaries and a six, his 48th IPL half-century and his highest score this season, while Saha made an unbeaten 45-ball 58 with seven fours and a six, the eighth fifty of his IPL career.
“It feels good now after that dreadful loss against Kings XI,” Warner said at the post-match presentation.
“Obviously they rested a couple of players, but to hold them to 150 on this ground is outstanding. Nadeem, to go for 19 in his four against a side with so many lefthand batsmen, is exceptional. There is great resilience in the side. We always put our best foot forward. A lot of the credit goes down to the franchise owners. We looked back to 2016 when we had to win every game to win the title. When you have your backs against the wall, you have nothing to lose,” the Australian added.
Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, who picked two wickets for 19 and was adjudged the Man of the Match, said: “I don’t get a lot of games. I am used to not getting so many games. when you get your chance, you give your 100 percent. I have been working hard, on the carrom ball, for the last two years. I thought it was the right time to use it. The round-arm ball too.”
Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians skipper, said: “Not the day we want to remember. Probably the worst performance of the season for us.” Earlier, Sandeep Sharma, and Jason Holder came up with fine spells to help the Sunrisers Hyderabad restrict Mumbai Indians.
Pacer Sharma returned with three for 34, while Nadeem and Holder picked two wickets each. Holder, the West Indian all-rounder, completed 100 scalps in T20 cricket. Kieron Pollard top scored with a 25-ball 41 that contained four sixes and two boundaries. In the process, the big-hitting West Indian crossed 3000 runs in the IPL.
Put into bat, Rohit Sharma, who was passed fit after missing four matches, got out tamely, tipping Sandeep Sharma’s slower delivery to David Warner at mid-off.
Quinton de Kock, the other opener, slammed Sharma for a boundary and two successive sixes off three balls but the bowler got his revenge with the South African chopping a wide full toss onto his stumps.
It marked Sandeep Sharma’s 53rd wicket in the powerplay in the IPL, as he surpassed Zaheer Khan’s tally of 52 scalps.
It was a meandering Mumbai Indians innings with them reaching 48 for two in the powerplay. Suryakumar Yadav was on 19, while Ishan Kishan was yet to open his account. They then went on to reach 78 for two in 10 overs. The pair put on 42 runs for the third wicket before the Mumbai Indians lost two quick wickets. Suryakumar Yadav edged Nadeem to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha before Krunal Pandya fell for nought, caught by Kane Williamson at short midwicket.
Saurabh Tiwary was caught by Saha off Rashid Khan, while Kishan’s stay came to end after he was castled by Sharma.
The Mumbai Indians rested pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult as well as Hardik Pandya.