Hyderabad: Kings XI Punjab once again showed their batting might as the table-toppers chased down another 200-plus-run target to comfortably beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing 206 for victory, the Punjab top-order pulled off another run feast – their second 200-plus chase in this IPL – to canter to their target in 18.4 overs.
Punjab’s batsmen struck from the word go, even after losing Virender Sehwag (4) early on.
Wriddhiman Saha (54 off 26 balls) and Manan Vohra (47) managed a 91-run second-wicket partnership to provide a solid platform for the big chase.
Saha led the assault with the duo getting 20 runs from the sixth over and taking their side to 86 after the powerplay.
Saha ran out of steam when Karn Sharma got him stumped, but the leg-spinner’s joy was short-lived as Glenn Maxwell came to the crease. The current orange-cap holder belted Karn for three sixes to continue with the momentum.
In blistering form, Maxwell continued to hit fours and sixes as Punjab reached 150 in double quick time – 156/3 in 12 overs. Mishra finally got his revenge when Maxwell (43) hit the ball to Dale Steyn at long-off.
Punjab finally won the game with eight balls to spare with George Bailey fittingly hitting the winning six off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Earlier wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha bludgeoned his way to an unbeaten 36-ball 79 as Hyderabad posted 205 for five in 20 overs.
Put into bat, openers Shikhar Dhawan and Aaron Finch started on a cautious note but soon gained momentum at the end of the powerplays. (PTI)
Brief scores:
SH: 205/5, 20 overs (N Ojha 79*, S Dhawan 45, D Warner 44; R Dhawan 2-42)
KXIP: 211/4, 18.4 overs (W Saha 54, M Vohra 47, G Maxwell 43)
