Sunrisers Hyderabad successfully defended their second lowest total in Indian Premier League history by recording 31-run victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians. Seamer Siddarth Kaul picked up 3-23 and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan snapped up 2-11 with his masterful googlies and legspinners as Mumbai was bowled out for 87 in 18.5 overs. Earlier, after being put into bat, Hyderabad was dismissed for its second lowest IPL total when it fell to Mumbai seamers for 118 in 18.4 overs.
“Without a doubt we were expecting a lot more from ourselves with the bat,” Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson said. “A number of injuries, a change in balance, but the best part of it was how the guys were engaged in the second half.” Mumbai, which now has lost five out of six matches, buckled against some fine seam and spin bowling despite Hyderabad going without its frontline injured seamers. Billy Stanlake was ruled out of remainder of IPL due to fractured finger and injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar was rested from the game.
Mumbai’s chase was in disarray when it stuttered at 21-3 in the sixth over that included key wicket of captain Rohit Sharma for just 2. “118 on any wicket, we should have been able to get that, we just weren’t there,” Rohit said. “We needed to show some intent but we didn’t … they kept us guessing all the time. A few of us played bad shots including myself.” Suryakumar Yadav (34) and Krunal Pandya (24) shared the best partnership of the innings by combining in a 40-run fourth-wicket stand before Mumbai lost its last six wickets for just 14 runs. Rashid hurried the collapse when he successfully won an lbw television referral against Krunal and Kaul ran through the tail in quick succession as Hyderabad clinched its fourth win in the tournament.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya (2-20) and Mitchell McClenaghan (2-22) polished off Hyderabad’s top order as the visitors’ innings never got any momentum from the onset. McClenaghan struck twice in his first over when he clean bowled fit-again Shekhar Dhawan and then Wriddhiman Saha was caught behind for zero.
Hardik had captain Kane Williamson (29) caught behind off an inside edge and Manish Pandey (16) drove carelessly in the covers as Hyderabad stuttered at 63-5 in the ninth over. Mumbai’s 20-year-old Mayank Markande took his wickets tally to 10 to be the leading wicket-taker in the IPL by clean bowling Mohammad Nabi (16) and Basil Thampi. Yusuf Pathan (29) struck seamer Mustafizur Rahman for a six over long-on which took Hyderabad past its lowest ever total of 113 in the IPL — also made against Mumbai in 2015. However, Yusuf holed out in the deep off the next ball to be last man out as only four Hyderabad batsmen could reach double figures.