Sunrisers Hyderabad, riding on Skipper Pat Cummins’ fabulously-executed 3-28 and an aggressive leading performance by Ishan Kishan (70), on Monday qualified for the playoffs of the IPL with a laboured five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings.
The result at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai also guaranteed a place in the playoffs for Gujarat Titans. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the initial outfit to enter the playoffs.
The tournament, which will have its final on May 31 in Ahmedabad, now has five teams vying for what is one last playoff spot.
Aussie Cummins from fast bowling bowled very tight to stop the 180-7 at Chennai’s last home game.
Key Performances for Hyderabad
Chasing a target of 131, Hyderabad were reduced to 56-2 but the duo of left-handed Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen (47) stitched together a 75-run partnership to take his side home with six balls to spare.
Key contributions included:
Ishan Kishan – 70 runs
Heinrich Klaasen – 47 runs
Pat Cummins: 3 wickets for 28 in returns
As Klaasen was nearing his fifty, Hyderabad lost another key wicket of Nitish Kumar Reddy to Chennai’s Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad but Kishan, a wicketkeeper-batter, hit a few cuts and pulls towards the end.
He went back after making that 47 off 21, hitting seven fours and three sixes but all done in the end as Ravichandran Smaran hit a four to win his team the title.
Chennai may be five-time champions, but they have now been left dangling by a thread.
Cummins Leads with the Ball
Sharma and Mukul Sharma (3 for 43) kept the scoreboard ticking, but it was Cummins’s first judgment of the early days and Hyderabad’s full supply of digits that put him in good company.
Cummins then dismissed skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (15) and Kartik Sharma (32), as Chennai continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.
Dewald Brevis scored 44 off 27 balls and added 59 along with Shivam Dube to stoke hopes of a Chennai total past the 200-run mark which was not to be.
Eshan Malinga had the best batting, bowled Brevisout and left-handed Dube was scooped off the stumps by another quick, Sakib Hussain.
Chasing in reply, Hyderabad lost their aggressive openers which included:
Travis Head – 6
Abhishek Sharma – 26
It was well before Kishan and Klaasen took charge.
Kishan and Klaasen put the chase back on track with their left-right batting pair, while Hyderabad lost wickets at the end but crossed the final hurdle for a win and passage to the next stage.