Sunrisers Hyderabad exhibited their prowess in the 14th match of the Indian Premier League, where they put the brakes on Punjab Kings, restricting them to 88/9 after 15.3 overs. Mayank Markande, the Sunrisers’ leg-spinner, emerged as the hero of the match, claiming four wickets and significantly impacting the Punjab Kings’ batting lineup.
The Punjab Kings’ innings started on a sour note when Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Prabhsimran Singh LBW on the very first ball. This early setback marked the beginning of a series of unfortunate events for Punjab Kings. Marco Jansen added to their woes, claiming the wickets of Matthew Short and Jitesh Sharma.
As captain Shikhar Dhawan held his ground with a fighting 47 off 41 balls, the rest of the Punjab Kings lineup faltered under the pressure. Sam Curran showed some promise, scoring 22 off 15 balls before falling victim to Markande’s wiles.
Mayank Markande went on to claim the wickets of M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Chahar, and Nathan Ellis, effectively dismantling the Punjab Kings’ middle and lower order. His impressive bowling figures of 4-0-15-4 played a significant role in limiting the Punjab Kings’ run rate.
Umran Malik also showcased his skills, taking the wickets of Sikandar Raza and Harpreet Brar. In the end, Punjab Kings were left with a modest score of 88/9, with the Sunrisers Hyderabad team eager to take their turn at the crease.
Throughout the innings, the Punjab Kings struggled to find momentum, with their powerplay score standing at 41/3. While Dhawan managed to cross the 50-run mark for the team, the strategic timeout couldn’t halt their slide as they continued losing wickets at regular intervals.
Despite multiple DRS reviews, Punjab Kings’ decisions to challenge the umpire’s calls were largely unsuccessful, and they were unable to turn the tide in their favor. Now, the onus falls on their bowlers to defend the low total against a formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad batting lineup.