Sunrisers Hyderabad went to the top half of the points table after a thumping win over Kings Xi Punjab on Thursday night. Many records tumbled in the match and many new were created as the Hyderabad openers showed a batting masterclass in Dubai.
Kings XI Punjab, on the other hand, succumbed to their fifth loss of the campaign, as they languish at the bottom of the points table.
Here are the 5 talking points from the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab contest:
1. Warner-Bairstow- Fifth Century Stand
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s powerhouse openers David Warner (52) and Jonny Bairstow (97) scored their fifth century stand in this competition as they decimated the Punjab attack in Dubai. In the process, Warner brought up his ninth fifty-plus score against KXIP since 2015.
The pair also scored 1000 runs in 16 innings, becoming only the seventh pair to do so in the competition. Bairstow, unfortunately, missed out on becoming the first overseas batsman to score a century this season.
Also Read: Warner Lauds Bairstow & Rashid After Big Win Over Punjab
2. KXIP’s Wicket-less Vigil
Kings XI Punjab goth their first wicket after 36.4 overs and 408 runs in the IPL. This is the longest, any team has gone without taking a wicket in the history of the competition ever. CSK beat KXIP by 10 wickets as they chased down 179 required for victory within 18 overs. Sunrisers Hyderabad openers added 160 before Ravi Bishnoi broke through for them in the 16th over of the match.
He led the charge along with young medium pacer Arshdeep Singh as Punjab pulled things back in the death. Sunrisers Hyderabad finished on 201/6 from being 160 for no loss, losing six wickets for 41 runs in the final five overs. Bishnoi finished with 3 for 29, while Arshdeep took 2 for 33 to stifle the Sunrisers in the backend.
3. Punjab Losing 3 Wickets in The Powerplay
The chase of 201, was always a tall order for the Punjab middle to lower-order batsmen after they lost three wickets inside the powerplay. They first lost Mayank Agarwal (9) in the very second over. Prabhsimran Singh (11), who played his first game of the tournament was dismissed in the fifth over.
Punjab then lost the big wicket of KL Rahul in the seventh over, to get their chase more complicated. There was too much work for the Punjab middle-order to do from there on to take them over the line.
4. Nicholas Pooran’s Single-Handed Assault in KXIP vs SRH Contest
When all looked lost for Punajb Nicholas Pooran scored a 37-ball 77 to give the KXIP hope. he hit five four and seven sixes in his innings with each being a little bigger in distance than the previous one. Pooran took 28 off a single over from Abhishek Sharma as some splendid hitting was on show on the night.
However, his untimely dismissal in the 15th over of their chase took the sting out of Kings XI Punjab’s chase as they lost the by the highest margin in terms of runs this season.
5. Tough Road Ahead For Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab has now lost five of their first six games and the road ahead now looks tough for the KL Rahul-led team. They have left themselves too much to do in the second half of the league stage. It will be interesting to see what tactical changes do they bring into their game as they look to claw back into the tournament.
KL Rahul’s approach as the captain of the side will also be an interesting observation. Touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, Rahul is learning things the hard way in the IPL as of now.
Also Read:  Losing Wickets In The Powerplay Made Things Tough – KL Rahul
