Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hosted the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the opening match of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL 2024) final doubleheader at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Both teams obviously know their fates, but if they win and other outcomes go their way, the hosts still have a chance to finish in the top two.
Interestingly, the Punjab Kings chose to bat first after winning the toss in the hopes of amassing a large total on a solid batting pitch. Due to the unavailability of their other foreign players for their season’s last game, this was the first time a team had only one foreign player in their playing XI.
After six overs and 61/0, Punjab Kings called a timeout.
The opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Atharva Taide were cautious, but the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers were able to extract some swing throughout the first three overs. When the openers discovered the gaps at the appropriate periods, they broke free from the restraints and began to play freely. They finally got the momentum they were looking for, and they concluded the powerplay with a flourish, having taken no wickets yet.
Second Strategic Time Out: Punjab Kings, 174/3 after 16 overs
The Punjab Kings kept up their assault, scoring one or two boundaries in each over, even after the calculated timeout. They were trying to dominate every bowler today at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, where they were batting at a run rate of ten. After rejoining the assault to bowl the tenth over, T Natarajan removed Atharva Taide from the game.
Also read: IPL 2024 Match 69 between PBKS and SRH: Why aren’t Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow participating?
Rilee Rossouw provided strong assistance for Prabhsimran Singh, who nevertheless kept the pyrotechnics going at one end. While they shared a fantastic 54-run partnership, Heinrich Klaasen made a spectacular catch to remove Vijayakanth Viyaskanth from the game. Rossouw proceeded with the boundaries; however, his mistake forced Shashank Singh to return to the pavilion.
After 20 overs, Punjab Kings are at 214/5.
As they kept bowling with excellent line and length, Sunrisers Hyderabad appeared to have gained momentum. After a fantastic knock of 49 from 24 deliveries, captain Pat Cummins was able to remove Rilee Rossouw, who appeared dangerous. In Natarajan’s subsequent over, Sanvir Singh made a superb catch to send Ashutosh Sharma back. Ultimately, Punjab Kings managed to score five wickets in their twenty overs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
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