Hyderabad outclass Bengaluru but fail to clinch top-two spot

A powerhouse batting display, headlined by three frenetic half-centuries, set up Sunrisers Hyderabad’s comprehensive 55-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, though it wasn’t enough to secure them a top-two finish as both teams completed their league engagements on 18 points apiece.

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen extended their consistent run on a terrific batting surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, muscling the home side to 255-4 after Pat Cummins chose to bat.

Defending champions Bengaluru needed to score at least 166 to ensure that they finished ahead of Hyderabad on net run rate even in the event of defeat, and they got the job done with clinical efficiency, finishing on 200-4.

Despite the defeat, Bengaluru (0.783) ended up table-toppers, ahead of Gujarat Titans (0.695), who also amassed 18 points, with Hyderabad occupying the third spot.

“I’m just happy about it, taking it one game at a time,” said Kishan of winning the man-of-the-match award for the third time this year.

“I do feel confident when I am playing against them (Bengaluru). More than maturity, it’s about shot selection. You need to feel confident, know what shots to play and which bowlers to target.”

Bengaluru seemed determined to have a go at the massive target through their new opening combination of Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli, who added 60 in just 27 deliveries.

However, quick wickets of Iyer, Virat Kohli, and Devdutt Padikkal dented the chase. Captain Rajat Patidar kept RCB in the contest with a composed 56 off 39 balls, while Krunal Pandya remained unbeaten on 41. But the asking rate kept climbing, and SRH’s bowlers maintained control in the latter half of the innings.

Young pacer Eshan Malinga starred with the ball for SRH, returning figures of 2-33 in four overs. Sakib Hussain also impressed with 1-31, while Travis Head chipped in with a wicket as SRH closed out a comprehensive win.

The victory further strengthens Sunrisers Hyderabad’s momentum heading into the business end of the tournament, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be left searching for answers after another expensive bowling performance in a season-defining clash.

The top priority was to be on the top (of the table). The target was a lot,” captain Rajat Patidar said.

“The top five (Hyderabad) batters played very well and they dominated ... (and when we batted) the slower bouncer was gripping and they executed the bouncers and yorkers very well.”

Where Hyderabad’s bowlers used pace off the ball to great effect, Bengaluru had been punished earlier in the evening for being unidimensional, Travis Head and Abhishek setting the tone through their 45-run first-wicket stand.

Abhishek’s breathtaking 56 off 22 balls, packed with towering sixes and audacious strokeplay, set the tone for the carnage that followed.

Beside him, Travis Head added another burst of chaos with a rapid cameo before the innings found its heartbeat in Kishan.

Hyderabad, the 2016 champions, made sure wickets didn’t fall in clusters, stringing together successive subsequent alliances of 52, a blazing 113 off just 48 balls for the third wicket between Kishan and Klaasen, and 45 respectively to put on an exhibition for their home supporters in the last game of the season at this venue.

Abhishek’s first fifty in six innings was the base from which Kishan and Klaasen cut loose.

Diminutive left-hander Kishan packed quite a punch while Klaasen, who was on five off nine deliveries at one stage, rediscovered his boundary-hitting touch with three sixes and a four off a Josh Hazlewood over that went for 27.

While Kishan brought up his fourth consecutive half-century against Bengaluru before being dismissed off the last ball of the innings, Klaasen’s sixth score of more than 50 took him past the 600-run mark for the season on a run-soaked night of high-class entertainment.

RCB’s bowlers had no answers. Every frontline option leaked runs at more than 12 an over. Length balls disappeared.

Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 255/4 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 79, Abhishek Sharma 56, Heinrich Klaasen 51; Rasikh Salam 2-53) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 200/4 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 56, Venkatesh Iyer 44, Krunal Pandya 41 not out; Eshan Malinga 2-33) by 55 runs

Agencies