Mohali: Captain Shikhar Dhawan continued his red hot form and guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to a seven-wicket win over Faisalabad Wolves at the PCA Stadium here on Wednesday.
The second successive win in the Champions League qualifiers ensured Sunrisers a smooth entry into the main tournament alongside New Zealand’s Otago Volts.
Dhawan (59 runs off 50 balls) struck his second straight fifty as the Hyderabad franchise got past Wolves’ 127 for five in 17.3 overs. Misbah-ul-Haq’s 56 was for a losing cause.
Sunrisers and Volts play each other in a dead rubber on Friday before heading into the Champions League group stages beginning Saturday.
The Wolves will look to end their tournament on a high when they take on Sri Lanka’s Kandurata Maroons in the first game on Friday.
“The experience of playing here is really good for the guys who haven’t played international games. It’s a great opportunity for them. I think it’s time for the guys to show something, they have experience of two games now. We’ll try to come good in the next game and go home with something positive,” said Haq at the post-match presentation.
Star-studded Sunrisers looked a much superior unit against Wolves, who have no foreigners in their squad.
The Pakistani side were impressive with the ball in patches but their batting led to their downfall.
Dhawan’s sublime knock was easily the highlight of the day. He played the dangerous Saeed Ajmal with ease. A gentle push through the covers off Ajmal was one of his six delightful boundaries.
It looked as if Dhawan started from where he left during his knock of 71 against Kandurata Maroons on Tuesday.
At the end of six overs, Sunrisers were 51 for no loss and the match was all about the two openers matching each other stroke for stroke.
Sunrisers lost just three wickets in their total of 131.
Earlier, a disciplined effort from Sunrisers bowlers saw them restrict the Wolves to a modest 127 for five in the stipulated 20 overs after being put into bat by Dhawan.
Skipper Misbah ul-Haq again top-scored for his side with an unbeaten knock of 56 off 40 balls. He hit a four and five sixes in the process.
India leg-spinner Amit Mishra was easily the best bowler on view with economical figures of one for 13 from four overs. He bowled as many as 17 dot balls in his 24 legal deliveries.
In the earlier match, Kandurata made 154/7 in 20 overs, with Upul Tharanga top-scoring with 76.
However, Ryan ten Doeschate’s 64 from 32 balls helped Otago cruise to victory, despite Dilhara Lokuhetigge’s excellent bowling of 3-20. (Agencies)