HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Sunrisers Hyderabad ended Lucknow Super Giants’ faint playoff hopes with a clinical six-wicket win in the Indian Premier League on Monday.
Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 18-ball 59 led Hyderabad's chase to 206-4 with 10 balls to spare.
Lucknow, which needed to win its remaining three games and rely on other results, couldn’t capitalize on a blazing 115-run opening stand between Mitchell Marsh (65) and Aiden Markram (61) and was restricted to 205-7.
Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings have made it to the playoffs. The fight for the fourth and final place was now between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.
Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant’s sub-par season continued when he fell for 7, his seventh single-digit score. Pant was a symptom of the team's middle order woes, and Hyderabad fast bowler Eshan Malinga (2-28) was the latest bowler to profit.
Sharma seals the game
Left-handed Sharma’s brutal hitting sealed the game inside the first six overs as Hyderabad raced to 72-1. He opened with Atharva Taide after regular partner Travis Head was in quarantine with COVID-19.
Sharma didn’t hold back once the field restrictions came off after the powerplay, and smacked leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for four successive sixes. The third one burst through the hands of Nicholas Pooran on the boundary and brought up Sharma's half-century.
But soon after that 26-run over, Sharma was out caught off a googly by Digvesh Rathi, and both got into a heated argument. Rathi’s signature notebook celebration seemed to irritate Sharma and they had to be separated by onfield umpire Michael Gough. They appeared to make up after the game.
Unlike Lucknow's middle order, Hyderabad's delivered. Ishan Kishan scored a six off the first ball he faced and made 35 off a slow 28 balls. Heinrich Klaasen (47) and Kamindu Mendis (32) accelerated before Mendis retired hurt with a hamstring injury only nine runs from victory.
Lucknow slumps after blazing start
Marsh and Markram have been Lucknow’s batting mainstays and gave another whirlwind start of 115 runs off just 63 balls. Both batters raising half-centuries off 28 balls.
But Lucknow slipped from 108 without loss in the first 10 overs to 97-7 in the last 10 overs.
The Hyderabad bowlers, especially Malinga, bowled smart with changes of pace.
Pant promoted himself to No. 3 but chipped a slower ball back to Malinga, who also claimed Ayush Badoni for just 3.
Debutant left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (1-44) also slowed down Lucknow. He ousted Marsh, who was caught at short third man, in the 11th over. Markram also was deceived by Harshal Patel’s slow yorker in the 16th over just when the South African was looking to up the rate in the death overs.
Nicholas Pooran hit 45 off 26 balls with one six and six fours but Lucknow kept on losing wickets.
Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled for the first time this season and conceded 20 runs in the final over that also brought two run-outs. Akash Deep got Lucknow past 200 with a six off the final ball.
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The Associated Press
