IPL 2021: Jason Holder shines as Sunrisers Hyderabad restrict Punjab Kings to 125

A lacklustre batting performance by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) saw them restricted to 125-7 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an encounter of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. The Sharjah pitch has proved a menace to batters so far in the competition and it will be interesting to see how SRH manage the situation when they come out to bat. PBKS could not even get going as the SRH bowlers proved too troublesome to deal with. Jason Holder proved most valuable as he picked up three important wickets and conceded only 19 runs in his four overs. PBKS lost wickets at regular intervals and they failed to score at a decent rate as well. Aiden Markram was the highest run-scorer for the men in red as he scored 27 runs off 32 deliveries.

AWFUL BATTING BY PBKS

There will be a lot to think about in the PBKS dressing room after the match, irrespective of the result. This is the second time in two matches that the batting unit has disappointed and things will need to change if they are to make a charge towards the play-off spots in the competition. Skipper KL Rahul made 21 runs off 21 deliveries while Mayank Agarwal only made five. Veteran batter Chris Gayle managed to score 14 runs while his compatriot Nicholas Pooran made eight. Deepak Hooda, Harpreet Brar, and Nathan Ellis also went out to bat for PBKS but they only accumulated 13, 18, and 12 runs respectively.

JASON HOLDER LEADS SRH BOWLING MASTERCLASS

The bowling display from SRH was absolutely outstanding. Five bowlers picked up wickets and they were mostly economical. The pick of the bowlers, however, is certainly West Indies veteran Jason Holder. The all-rounder picked up three wickets and conceded only 19 runs in his four overs.

Sandeep Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, and Abdul Samad picked one wicket each. The fielding effort by the men in orange was an exceptional one as well. They were lively all around the pitch, restricting the Punjab Kings to just nine boundaries in the entire first innings. It is certainly a performance they can be proud of and the task now falls on the batting unit to seal an important win for the team.