David Warner became the first player to score 50 half-centuries in the IPL and also completed 10,000 T20 runs, but could not help SRH emerge victorious.
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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) reclaimed their spot at the top of the points table after defeating SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in match 23 of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) quite comfortably. The track offered absolutely nothing to the bowlers, with even CSK bowlers struggling to pick up wickets. SRH managed to post 171 runs on the board but it was not enough to beat the three-time champions. The game was effectively won by the men in yellow thanks to a blockbuster opening partnership of 129 runs between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis. Ruturaj smashed 75 off 44 deliveries while Faf scored 56 off 38. The winning runs were hit by Suresh Raina who scored 17 runs off 15 balls. CSK won with seven wickets in hand and 1.3 overs to spare. Raina also reached a personal milestone as he struck his 500th four in the match.
The SRH bowlers had a dismal time with only Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan putting in a commendable shift. He picked up all of his team’s three wickets in his four overs and conceded 36 runs. All the other bowlers were quite expensive.
SRH did not have a positive start to the match as they lost an in-form Jonny Bairstow early. The Englishman could only post 7 runs on the scoreboard. Captain David Warner might have reached his 50th half-century and 10,000 T20 runs, but it was also a slow knock. The Aussie struggled to get bat on ball and his frustration with his performance was visible.
However, a returning Manish Pandey took charge and kept pushing the Orange Army’s score at a decent run rate. Pandey also reached his half-century as he scored 61 runs off 46 deliveries. SRH lost both set batters within a short while and it seemed unlikely that they would reach the 170-run mark. However, Kane Williamson’s explosive 26 runs of 10 deliveries and Kedar Jadhav’s 12 off 4 balls ensured that they reached 171.
The first innings was one where wickets were few. The CSK bowlers did not have much luck, but were exceptional on the field. Among the wicket-takers were Sam Curran who picked one wicket in his four overs and conceded 30 runs, and Lungi Ngidi who picked two wickets for 35 runs in his four overs.
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