PUNE, India, CMC – Nicholas Pooran’s stunning half-century went in vain as Sunrisers Hyderabad missed out on a golden opportunity to close the gap on the leaders, with a 13-run loss to Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
Chasing a formidable 203 for victory at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Sunrisers came up short at 189 for six off their 20 overs, but not before the left-handed Pooran blasted his way to an unbeaten 64 off 33 deliveries.
Captain Kane Williamson chipped in with 47 off 37 balls and fellow opener Abhishek Sharma got 39 off 24 balls but the 38 runs required from the last over left Sunrisers needing a miracle which never materialised despite Pooran’s all out assault.
CSK, without former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, had earlier piled up an imposing 202 for two off their 20 overs, after being asked to bat first.
Ruturaj Gaikwad fell agonisingly short of a hundred with 99 off 57 deliveries after putting on 182 for the first wicket with Devon Conway who made 85 not out the pair establishing the fourth highest opening stand in IPL history.
The 25-year-old Gaikwad perished in the 18th over after striking half-dozen fours and as many sixes, scooping left-arm seamer Thangarasu Natarajan to point, while Conway gathered eight fours and four sixes in his knock.
Williamson, who counted two fours and two sixes, then controlled the run chase for Sunrisers early on, posting 58 for the first wicket with Abishek, 30 for the third wicket with Aiden Markram (17) and a further 38 for the fourth wicket with Pooran.
Once Williamson fell in the 15th over, Pooran took charge of the innings, blasting three fours and four sixes to raise his 24th Twenty20 half-century in the final over with a boundary to backward square, as the over from left-armer Mukesh Choudhary leaked 24 runs due to three sixes from the West Indies star.
Despite the win, CSK remained one from bottom on six points while Sunrisers are fourth on 10 points.
At the Wankhede in Mumbai, Rovman Powell too found himself on the losing end despite a cameo, Delhi Capitals going down to Jason Holder’s Lucknow Super Giants by six runs.
In pursuit of 196, Capitals made a fist of it, captain Rishabh Pant top-scoring with 44, Axar Patel lashing an unbeaten 42 from 24 balls and Australian Mitchell Marsh belting a 20-ball 37.
Powell produced a swift 35 off 21 balls down the order, punching three fours and two sixes before falling in the 17th over, holing out to mid-wicket off seamer Mohsin Khan (4-16).
Half-centuries from captain KL Rahul (77) and Deepak Hooda (52) had earlier propelled Super Giants to a challenging total of 195 for three off 20 overs.
The victory took Super Giants into the second spot on 14 points, two adrift of leaders Gujarat Titans, while Capitals remains sixth on eight points.