Mustafizur Rahman and David Warner produced clinical performances to pave the way for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s thumping five-wicket win against Kings XI Punjab in Hyderabad. Mustafizur executed his offcutters and yorkers again to return figures of 2 for 9 – the most economical numbers of the season – as Kings XI were restricted to 143. Warner then blasted his third consecutive fifty, off just 23 balls, to effectively finish the game. Sunrisers’ third win of the season pushed them to third spot on the points table, while Kings XI were left languishing at the bottom with just one win in five games.
Mustafiz bowled 17 dot balls in his 3 spells of 4 overs. SRH need 144 runs to win. #SRHvKXIP #IPL2016
Image @IPL pic.twitter.com/gSO6iZbLpU
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) April 23, 2016
Moises Henriques dented Kings XI further with a double-strike, removing David Miller and Glenn Maxwell in the space of five balls, the third time they have been dismissed in the same over this season. Shaun Marsh trudged along and looked set for his second successive fifty before he was undone by an offcutter from Mustafizur.
However, Nikhil Naik, on IPL debut, and Axar Patel gave Kings XI a chance with a 50-run sixth-wicket stand. Axar was particularly dominant in the arc between long-on and deep midwicket – all his three sixes were hit in that area.
Warner and Mustafizur starred for SRH as they completed a hat-trick of wins in IPL 2016 https://t.co/qbJTX7gKRP pic.twitter.com/v4Y7sUI8hV
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) April 23, 2016
In the chase, Warner and Dhawan resumed from where they left against Gujarat Lions. Dhawan pierced the cover region with two crisp drives for four in the first two overs, before Warner took over.
Warner laid into Sandeep Sharma’s second over – the third of the innings – with two lofted drives over long-off. He hit six more boundaries in the remainder of the Powerplay as Sunrisers plundered 65.
#SRHvKXIP 1st Half Highlight is.@YUVSTRONG12 Paa joined in #SRH & @Mustafiz90 Magical Spell 4-1-9-2wkts (17dots) pic.twitter.com/eyXn6r3nQT
— Sravan Karne (@Sra1karne) April 23, 2016
In the 10th over, Warner holed out to long-on for a 31-ball 59, an innings that featured seven fours and three sixes. Aditya Tare, promoted to No. 3, was run out off his first ball and Kings XI believed again.
However, Dhawan and Eoin Morgan snuffed out any hope Kings XI had. Dhawan dropped anchor after Warner’s dismissal, but top-edged a length delivery from Rishi Dhawan to the keeper for 45. Morgan’s 20-ball 25 took Sunrisers within five of a comfortable win before he picked out midwicket with a jabbed pull. Eventually, Sunrisers cruised to the target with 13 balls to spare to keep their winning streak alive.
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