SRH vs PBKS IPL: In Match No. 37 of IPL 2021, it’s KW vs KL as Hyderabad take on Punjab. Here is a special story from one of their previous encounters!
The No.7 and No.8 placed teams on the points table will do battle tonight in Sharjah. We look at one of their most memorable encounters from the past!
Introduction
We are looking back at a match between these two sides, from the last year’s IPL. It was Match No. 43 of IPL 2020, played in Dubai.
Then SRH captain David Warner won the toss and decided to field first. Punjab, who had earlier looked completely out of sorts, had roared back into the tournament with a few back-to-back wins. They still needed a victory to stay alive.
SRH on the other hand, could afford a loss, but it would make situations complex for them.
Punjab with a slow start
PBKS openers KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh were off to a watchful start as they got to only 37 in the first 5 overs. Mandeep was removed by Sandeep Sharma on the last ball of the 5th over.
Chris Gayle then joined skipper Rahul. The two batted together for 5 overs but could only score at run-a-ball rate. Gayle was dismissed by Holder, and immediately on the next ball, Rahul followed him as he was bowled by Rashid Khan.
Also Read:Â SRH vs PBKS in IPL: 5 Stats & Records That Can be Broken in Tonights Game
SRH restrict Punjab
Punjab were 66-3 all of a sudden, with two new batsmen Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell at the crease.
However, Maxwell’s poor IPL 2020 continued as he once again fell cheaply for 12 off 13 balls. Deepak Hooda was soon dismissed in the next over, as Punjab were now in dire straits at 88-5 in the 15th over.
Wickets kept falling at the other end as Pooran motored along. The West Indian stayed unbeaten at 32 off 28 balls, but Punjab could only manage 126-7 in their 20 overs.
Warner, Bairstow give a great start
SRH openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow once again gave their team a great start, as they have done together so many times.
They got past the 50-run opening stand within the powerplay itself, and it looked like SRH will chase the mediocre target down easily!
Punjab roar back into the game
The young leggie duo of Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin struck for Punjab. They both removed Warner and Bairstow in successive overs.
Abdul Samad, who was promoted at No. 4 to finish the match early, also fell in the next over to Mohammed Shami. SRH were suddenly down to 67-3.
Pandey, Shankar stop the wicket flow
Realizing that the target is not big and they need to just be there at the crease, Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar steadied the ship after 3 quick wickets.
Although their partnership took more than 7 overs to add only 33 runs, yet SRH needed only 27 off the last 24 balls. It looked like Pandey and Shankar would see the Orange Army through.
Punjab turn it around
Pandey then got out to Chris Jordan on the first ball of the 17th over. This then opened the gates for a heist that even the Punjab bowlers could not have imagined!
Pandey’s partner Shankar soon followed him in the next over, as he fell to Arshdeep Singh. At that point, SRH needed just 17 off 13 balls.
With Priyam Garg and Jason Holder still at the crease and Rashid Khan to follow, it still looked a doable job for SRH. However, they kept losing regular wickets and eventually lost the last 5 wickets for just 4 runs to be bowled out for 114.
Conclusion
SRH were cruising till their openers were at the crease, and botched up the chase horribly after that.
Punjab, on the other hand, were pinching themselves! Their bowlers, especially Chris Jordan, stuck to their basics of bowling tight lines and putting the pressure back on the SRH batsmen.
Result? They squeezed the batsmen and snatched victory from an almost unwinnable position!
Jordan was adjudged Man of the Match for his excellent figures of 3-17. He changed the game for his team completely!
Will we see a performance like that once again from a Punjab bowler? Or will it be SRH’s turn to exact revenge from that game? Do tune in tonight to check out!
