It was a typical Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batting performance as they could only manage 115/8 in the first innings. But, KKR missed a chance to boost their net run rate and had a terribly slow start to their run chase. Opener Shubman Gill scored his first half-century of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 to help KKR recover from the damage done in first 10 overs. Despite the game going to the last over, KKR ended on the right side with a win by six wickets and two crucial points.
Gill gets going
Gill was cautious in the first 10 overs while Nitish Rana was facing trouble to rotate strike against a fine SRH bowling attack. Gill started accelerating in the 11th over and got to his half-century from 43 deliveries. He was looking to finish the match off early but lost his wicket to Sidharth Kaul in the 17th over.
Karthik’s match-winning cameo
Once again, Dinesh Karthik played the role of finisher to perfection. Karthik released the pressure in death overs hitting three boundaries in his 12-ball 18 cameo. He finished the run chase with a boundary and two balls to spare.
Sunrisers’ near-perfect defense
Had SRH succeeded in defending a total of 115, it would have entered IPL history books. The lowest total of 116 was defended by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against the Punjab franchise in 2009. Kaul was the most economical bowler for SRH giving 17 runs from 3.4 overs and took the wicket of Gill. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan too did not let KKR batsmen score freely with an economy rate below six runs per over.
KKR in good position on table
KKR are in fourth place with 12 points from 13 games. A win from next game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) will ensure playoffs berth for them as they have a superior net run rate than any of the teams competing for the fourth place.
