Skipper Pat Cummins’ 3-28 and an attacking 70 by Ishan Kishan helped Sunrisers Hyderabad book their playoff spot in the IPL with a nervy five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings on Monday.
The result at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium ensured a playoff berth for Gujarat Titans as well. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the first team to qualify for the playoffs.
Five teams now jostle for one remaining playoff place in the T20 tournament that will conclude with the final on May 31 in Ahmedabad.
Australia’s Cummins struck key blows with his pace bowling to restrict the opposition to 180-7 in Chennai’s last home game.
Hyderabad slipped to 56-2 in their chase before the left-handed Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, who made 47, put on 75 runs to guide the team home with six balls to spare.
Chennai’s Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad denied Klaasen his fifty and Hyderabad lost another key wicket of Nitish Kumar Reddy before Kishan, a wicketkeeper-batter, struck decisive shots.
He departed after his 47-ball knock laced with seven fours and three sixes, but the job was done and Ravichandran Smaran hit the winning four.
Five-time champions Chennai’s fate hangs by a thread.
Bowlers led by Cummins set the tone for Hyderabad’s domination after the Australian quick struck first to dismiss Sanju Samson, caught behind for 27.
Cummins then took down skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, for 15, and Kartik Sharma, for 32, as Chennai lost regular wickets.
Dewald Brevis hit a 27-ball 44 and put on 59 runs with Shivam Dube to raise Chennai’s hopes of a 200-plus total but it was not to be.
Sri Lanka’s Eshan Malinga bowled Brevis and fellow quick Sakib Hussain rattled the stumps of left-handed Dube to hurt Chennai.
In reply, Hydebarad lost their attacking openers including Travis Head, for six, and Abhishek Sharma, for 26, before Kishan and Klaasen took charge.
The left-right batting combination of Kishan and Klaasen put the chase back on track and despite wickets at the end Hyderabad sealed the win and the ticket into the next stage.
Source: Khaleej Times