SRH vs PBKS, IPL 2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad chases 215 against Punjab Kings, marches on to playoffs with four-wicket win

Abhishek Sharma’s 66 off 28 balls helped SRH brush aside the early wicket of Travis Head and get to the 215-run target.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Abhishek Sharma plays a shot against Punjab Kings. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu

Brushing aside the first-ball dismissal of the explosive Travis Head, his opening partner Abhishek Sharma showcased an amazing range of stroke-play to ensure Sunrisers Hyderabad finished off its league engagements in the IPL in style with a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 215, Sunrisers batting depth came to the fore as first Rahul Tripathi set the tone before Abhishek served another reminder of his growing stature as a future India star.

The way he stood up and swung Rishi Dhawan and later carted spinner Harpreet Brar for two huge sixes was truly symbolic of his authority, class and timing against pace and spin alike.

HIGHLIGHTS | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen came up with superbly-paced knocks to help the team’s cause on yet another perfect batting strip here.

Earlier, southpaw Atharva Taide and Prabhsimran Singh ensured a brisk start for Punjab, putting on 97 in 9.1 overs before the former slashed a wide ball from left-arm pacer T. Natarajan straight to the fielder.

The opening pair batted with great freedom and the way Atharva straight drove Cummins effortlessly was a treat to watch.

Even Prabhsimran showed his class by pulling Cummins to the fence and whipping the same bowler effortlessly over the square-leg for a six.

The stage was set for the dangerous Rilee Rossouw and he came good with some lusty blows, with a penchant for the pull stroke.

Prabhsimran and Rossouw put on 54 runs for the second wicket before the former was snapped up brilliantly by wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen of leggie Vijayakanth Viyaskanth in the 15th over.

Punjab lost the way in the last five overs scoring 55 runs and losing three wickets including that of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma.

Captain Jitesh Sharma’s cameo, including two huge sixes off the last two balls of the innings from the most expensive bowler, Nitish, propped up the total.