23 April,2016 06:15 AM IST | | Agencies
The opening pair of David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan put on a steady partnership to help Sunrisers Hyderabad chase down the total of 143 easily against Kings XI Punjab at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan
Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a hat-trick of wins in the Indian Premier League-9 on Saturday, thrashing Kings XI Punjab by five wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here.
Sunrisers Hyderabad's David Warner (left) & Shikhar Dhawan during their 90-run opening stand against KXIP in Hyderabad on Saturday. Pic/AFP
The loss kept Punjab at the bottom of the table, while Sunrisers Hyderabad took the third spot with three wins in five matches.
Hyderabad's openers David Warner (31-ball 59) and Shikhar Dhawan's 45 helped the hosts chase Punjab's 143-6 with 13 balls to spare.
After enthralling the fans against Gujarat Lions in their last match with a century-stand for the opening wicket, Warner and Dhawan put up another sterling performance on Saturday with a 90-run partnership to lay a strong foundation for Hyderabad in their chase.
Earlier, a collective bowling performance by Sunrisers Hyderabad restricted Kings XI Punjab to a meagre 143-6.
Medium pacers Mustafizur Rahman (2-9) and Moises Henriques (2-33) were the pick of the bowlers for Hyderabad, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed one wicket. Shaun Marsh (40) was the top scorer for Kings XI. Put into bat, Kings XI got off to a disappointing start losing opener Murali Vijay (2) in the third over itself to have the visitors in the backfoot. But his opening partner Manan Vohra (25) looked good right from the start, sneaking in with ones and twos and striking three fours and one six before he ran himself out in the final ball of the powerplay to leave the team at 35-2.
Incoming batsman Marsh used his experience to best effect to hold on to the wicket. But Punjab from there on received two quick blows in one over with Henriques dismissing hard-hitters David Miller (9) followed by Glenn Maxwell (1) in the 10th over to have the visitors in a spot of bother at 65-4.
Marsh was the lone fighter for his side after hitting three boundaries and two sixes until young Bangladeshi sensation Mustafizur got the left-handed batsman leg before wicket to have Punjab in trouble at 89-5 in 14th over.
