END OF OVER:20 | 14 Runs | SRH: 178/6 (5 runs required, RR: 8.90)
- Rashid Khan17 (4b)
- Wriddhiman Saha5 (5b)
- Dwayne Bravo3-0-37-1
- Shardul Thakur4-0-45-1
Alright then, that's a wrap of this game. CSK reclaim their position atop the table. Much has been said of the composition of their squad, but they keep finding heroes each time they play. And it's a whole lot of guys that have stepped up at various junctures and not an over-reliance on one or two guys, which should augur well. We're almost ready for the evening's second game, so if you have the bandwith, do head over there. I need to grab some dinner.
Time for the presentations.
MS Dhoni, the winning captain, says: "I didn't want him to change his plans, basically. At times, even the best like Bravo, need advice. What's important is you make mistakes and you learn. At lot of times we have these debates, but a lot of times, when you make mistakes, the bowlers understand what we were talking about. I think the wickets have become better compared to the first few years of the IPL. The batsmen are bigger and stronger. I think we need to give credit to the batsmen and the bowlers are also constantly improving. But as we progress towards the knockouts, you will see the bowlers come up with new plans, and getting the big scores won't be so easy. What's important is to give these guys (Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur) some time. I want them to do well. Yes, there have been errors, but they will come back strong. Rayudu has been fantastic. One of the questions was where do we play him? And I have seen him bat up the order at No. 3. Whenever he plays the big shots, he maintains shape, which is very important. He can bat at all numbers, but I'd prefer to see him opening, where he looks very dangerous."
Ambati Rayudu is Man of the Match.
7.36pm Very little separated the two teams today. They both crawled for the early parts of their innings, and they both accelerated manically towards the end. And they both had two absolutely stunning innings of very high quality and class. In the end, it came down to the small margins, and those are the deciding factors more often than not in this format. CSK were brilliant at the death with the ball. As many boundaries as they conceded, their changes of pace and yorker game was spot on. But for that, SRH would have taken this.
A masterclass from Kane Williamson. It was almost flawless, as he displayed supreme mastery and control. And a gutsy effort from Yusuf Pathan who fought a bad back to keep SRH in it.
Let's not forget Deepak Chahar's brilliant spell. His three early wickets pushed Sunrisers completely onto the backfoot, and he was parsimonious in a big chase. And Ambati Rayudu in the first innings batted on another plane, smashing them long and hard when all the rest struggled to even turn the strike over. Of course, some very good support from Suresh Raina, and a sparkling finish from MS Dhoni.
Venky: "Vineet Kulkarni is a gonner.. It's now gonna be, 'Had he called a No-ball' "
Rummy: "CSK, please stop these last over finishes! Can't take it anymore."
Rahman: "Like Narine, SRH should open with Rashid "
Dhaval : "Surely KW has to be the Man of the Match. SRH were dead and buried if it was not for some brilliance from him. " Well, the same can be said about Rayudu and CSK. Not an easy choice.
Keshav: "The misfield by thakur has indeed sealed the game for CSK! Else Rashid could have had an extra ball! Phew! "
Stephen : "That waist high no ball would've made a difference. But such is life. SRH didn't bowl as well they would've wanted to. Hopefully they can arrest the slide. "
Can Rashid give Hyderabad the last-ball six?
Ten off two. A six and a four will do. Bravo and Dhoni get together for a conference. Tension high. A win for them will take CSK to the top.
Rashid can hit them long. Sixteen off three
DJ Bravo. 18 to defend.
END OF OVER:19 | 14 Runs 1 Wkt | SRH: 164/6 (19 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.63, RRR: 19.00)
- Rashid Khan6 (1b)
- Wriddhiman Saha2 (2b)
- Shardul Thakur4-0-45-1
- Dwayne Bravo2-0-23-1
Williamson had a control percentage of 100 against the CSK spinners. That's stunning!
AmitG: "The Orange cap just about stays with Virat Kohli!!! KW - well played!"
YK Pathan c Raina b Thakur 45 (27b 1x4 4x6) SR: 166.66
Rummy: "That's probably the only mishit in his innings. What class batting by Kane Williamson! "
END OF OVER:18 | 9 Runs 1 Wkt | SRH: 150/5 (33 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.33, RRR: 16.50)
- Yusuf Pathan39 (24b)
- Dwayne Bravo2-0-23-1
- Shardul Thakur3-0-31-0
KS Williamson c Jadeja b Bravo 84 (51b 5x4 5x6) SR: 164.7
Yusuf is still struggling considerably.
Jigar: "Both Pathan and KW has proved time and again their worth and today is one more such day in office. It's SRH game to lose now."
END OF OVER:17 | 10 Runs | SRH: 141/4 (42 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.29, RRR: 14.00)
- Kane Williamson84 (50b)
- Yusuf Pathan30 (19b)
- Shardul Thakur3-0-31-0
- Dwayne Bravo1-0-14-0