Hyderabad, May 15:
Skipper Virat Kohli and murderous Chris Gayle stole the show as they sent the SRH bowlers on a leather-hunt to help RCB win the rain-hit match in a thrilling finish by 6 wickets.
Kohli remained unbeaten on 44 off 19 balls, studded with 3 fours and 3 sixes, while Gayle played a blinder, scoring 35 off 10 balls with the help 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Earlier, Moises Henriques’ brutal assault enabled Sunrisers Hyderabad to reach a commanding 135 for three in 11 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a rain-curtailed encounter of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, here today.
By the time, SRH innings ended, heavens again opened up as the groundsmen covered the playing surface.
Henriques smashed his way to 57 off only 22 balls with help of five boundaries and four sixes adding 103 runs in only 7.1 overs in the process for the second wicket with skipper David Warner remaining unbeaten on 52 off only 32 balls.
Henriques 20-ball half-century was the second fastest in the tournament.
Warner, the current holder of ‘Orange Cap’ played the second fiddle yet scored his 50 off 30 balls. In all the SRH skipper hit five fours and a six.
RCB’s fielding was certainly below par as Henriques lived a charmed ‘life’ as Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan dropping easiest of chances on scores of 26 and 46.
The match was reduced to 11 overs-a-side after heavy rainfall delayed the proceedings by two hours and 40 minutes.
With Powerplay reduced to just three overs, skipper Warner decided to tee off with a tennis shot like boundary back past Harshal Patel for a boundary in the second over of the innings.
Shikhar Dhawan (10) was not so lucky as he first dispatched David Wiese for a pulled boundary but was gone trying to repeat the shot and failing to clear the wide mid-on fielder.
Dhawan’s dismissal didn’t deter Warner to hit Wiese down the ground for a boundary and then welcomed Yuzvendra Chahal with a cracking boundary through extra cover region.
Chahal’s nightmarish first over continued as Moises Henriques hit him for a six and four off successive deliveries as home team reached 50 off 5 overs.
Henriques was far from over was he punished Ashoke Dinda for his profligacy with another set of boundary and six.
On 26, Henriques got a reprieve when Mandeep Singh at long-off made a complete hash off a simple catch off Patel’s bowling conceding a boundary in the process. As if to add insult to the injury, Henriques steered the next ball for a boundary past Dinesh Karthik to move into 30’s. (PTI)
TODAY’S FIXTURE
Kings XI Punjab Vs Chennai Super Kings (4 PM)
Rajasthan Royals Vs Kolkata Knight Riders (8 PM)
Follow our WhatsApp channel