Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 156 runs for the loss of nine wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, built around half-centuries from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen against the Lucknow
Super Giants.
The 116-run stand between Klaasen and Nitish Reddy was SRH’s highest partnership for the 5th wicket or lower as the stand bettered Klaasen’s 99-run partnership with Abhinav Manohar for the 6th wicket last year.
LSG won the toss, and skipper Rishabh Pant chose to field first. The visitors struck early, removing Abhishek Sharma for a duck, before Mohammed Shami dismissed Travis Head for 7 off 8 balls.
SRH captain Ishan Kishan also failed to settle, bowled by Prince Yadav for just 1. Liam Livingstone contributed 14 from 20 deliveries before falling to Digvesh Rathi, after which Klaasen and Nitish stabilised the innings for the hosts. Both registered fifties to take SRH past 100, before M Siddharth removed Nitish for 56 off 33 balls.
Klaasen, from South Africa, scored 62 from 41 balls before being dismissed by Avesh Khan, triggering a lower-order collapse. Avesh then sent Harsh Dubey back for a duck, while Prince Yadav returned to remove Shivang Yadav for 2. Harshal Patel was run out for 4 off the final ball of the innings, leaving Aniket Verma unbeaten on 2 as SRH closed on 156/9.
LSG started the chase in solid fashion as Aiden Markram and Mitch Marsh kept the scoreboard ticking before the latter fell to Eshan Malinga for 14 runs off 10 deliveries.
Skipper Pant came to the middle as he replaced his fallen teammate and stitched up a stand alongside Markram, who was in an aggressive mood. However, Shivang Kumar removed the Protea batter for 45 off just 27 deliveries.
