IPL 2021: Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 63 enough hand SRH first win of the season against PBKS

This is the 14th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League, with the 2021 season being held in India. Punjab Kings is yet to win the IPL title to date, while KL Rahul currently leads the side. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad had won the IPL once, in 2016, under David Warner.

It was an all-round cricketing display from former champion Sunrisers Hyderabad. It drubbed Punjab Kings by nine wickets in Match 14 of the 2021 Indian Premier League at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday. It was wicketkeeper-opening batsman Jonny Bairstow, whose unbeaten 63 played a conventional role in SRH's win.

Winning the toss, PBKS skipper KL Rahul elected to bat first, as he made a couple of changes, bringing in Fabian Allen and Moises Henriques. Meanwhile, SRH skipper David Warner, too, made three changes, bringing in Kane Williamson, Kedar Jadhav and Siddarth Kaul.

PBKS lost the opening wickets in the fourth over, with Rahul falling for a mere four to seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar after being easily caught by Jadhav at mid-wicket. As Mayank and Chris Gayle contributed 24, the former departed in the seventh over to pacer Khaleel Ahmed, caught by Rashid.

It was then that PBKS began to lose wickets in a flurry, with barely any partnerships being made. Before it would reach 50, it lost four wickets by 47 (Nicholas Pooran- 0 and Chris Gayle- 15).

The middle-order tried to do its part but just could not get the partnerships going, as, by 101, seven wickets were down for the side, with Deepak Hooda (13), Henriques (14) and Allen (6). Just nine runs later, Shahrukh too fell as he could not pull beyond 22 and handed an easy catch to Abishek at deep mid-wicket off Khaleel in the 19th over.

In the subsequent ten runs, it was all over for PBKS, with Mohammed Shami being the last man to be dismissed in the final over through a run out for just three. For SRH, six bowlers were utilised. While Khaleel was the most successful of the lot, Rashid was highly economical.

As SRH came out for the chase, Warner and Bairstow's opening pair contributed to a 73-run opening stand. Frankly, SRH got half of the job done there, while Warner was the first to be dismissed, falling for 37 to spinner Fabian Allen after being caught by Mayank in the 11th over.

It was then followed by a glorious stand between Bairstow and Williamson, who sealed the deal with ease by nine wickets. Bairstow also brought up his sixth IPL half-century in the process. Meanwhile, PBKS, too, pressed six bowlers into the attack, with Allen getting the only breakthrough, while spinner Hooda was the most economical of all.
Brief scores: PBKS 120 in 19.4 overs (Mayank 22, Shahrukh 22; Khaleel- 3/21) defeats SRH 121/1 in 18.4 overs (Bairstow- 63; Allen 1/22) by nine wickets.