Supergiants ends four-match losing streak

Chasing a modest target of 119, Faf du Plessis and Steve Smith put on 80 runs off 50 balls to give Rising Pune Supergiants a win it desperately needed.

Steve Smith anchored Supergiants' chase with an unbeaten 46.

Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) rediscovered its winning ways when it drubbed Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets (via Duckworth Lewis method) in a rain-affected Indian Premier League (IPL) matchat the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Tuesday night.

Chasing a modest target of 119, Supergiants camp was stunned when opener Ajinkya Rahane slashed the fifth ball of the innings straight to the fielder at point. But Faf du Plessis and Steve Smith put on 80 runs off 50 balls for the second wicket to dash Sunrisers' hopes of bouncing back into the game. To Mahendra Singh Dhoni's delight, the two frontline batsmen batted well to help RPS snap a four-match losing streak.

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RPS was declared winner when rain stopped play with its score reading 94 for three in 11 overs. It was 34 runs ahead of the D/L target.

Earlier, opener Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten half-century and his partnership of 47 for the sixth wicket with Naman Ojha helped Sunrisers Hyderabad score 118 for eight in 20 overs.

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Dhawan was the only batsman to score more than 30 in Sunrisers' dissapointing batting effort. He reached his half-century in style carting Thisara Perera for a six. It would have been worse for the home team but for Bhuvneshwar Kumar's eight-ball 21 down the order.

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The host was off to a shocking start with captain David Warner slashing the fourth ball of the innings straight to Ajinkya Rahane at backward point off Ashok Dinda. Aditya Tare heaved without getting to the pitch of the ball only to be caught at covers off the same bowler.

Then, Mitchell Marsh bowled one on the off-stump line that moved away luring Eoin Morgan to nick it to wicketkeeper Dhoni.

At one stage, Sunrisers was reeling at 32 for five in 8.1 overs as Dinda and Marsh struck early. They relished the bowler-friendly conditions after the heavens opened up. The rain delayed the start by an hour but with no reduction in the overs.

Dhoni was outstanding behind the stumps pulling off a diving effort to dismiss Moises Henriques. Supergiants' fielding was outstanding.