Sunrisers Hyderabad continued to resemble a diminished version of their anticipated 2024 form, enduring their fourth consecutive defeat of the season, with this being their second loss at home. In contrast, the Gujarat Titans celebrated a decisive seven-wicket victory, marking their third consecutive win. On a challenging pitch that made scoring difficult, SRH struggled to reach a total exceeding 150 runs and once again fell short in their bowling performance. Washington Sundar, making his season debut, emerged as a valuable asset at No. 4, partnering with Shubman Gill to contribute 90 runs for the third wicket.
SRH trap themeselves yet again with a poor mindset
Sunrisers encountered a drier pitch at their home ground, making it challenging to play aggressive shots. The home team faced difficulties early on, losing Travis Head to Siraj in the first over and Abhishek Sharma to Siraj again in the fifth. Prior to these dismissals, Abhishek managed to score a few boundaries against a wayward Ishant Sharma before Siraj curtailed his innings. By the end of the PowerPlay, Ishan Kishan and Nitish Reddy had guided the team to a score of 45/2, marking the second-lowest total for the team in this phase since 2024.
The struggle continued during this period. Kishan was unable to handle a short delivery from Prasidh Krishna, resulting in his dismissal for 17 as he was caught at backward square leg in the eighth over. In the 11th over, Nitish executed a premeditated reverse sweep, sending a delivery from Rashid Khan to the boundary, which marked the first four runs of the SRH innings after 36 balls. While Sai Kishore maintained pressure from one end, Nitish and Klaasen targeted Rashid, who had a lackluster start to the season. Klaasen struck the first six of the innings in the 13th over off Rashid, who concluded his spell with figures of 0/31 in four overs. Sai Kishore then made a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Klaasen with an arm ball just as he was gaining momentum.
Sai Kishore continued to trouble the Sunrisers, taking the wicket of Nitish and finishing with impressive figures of 2 for 24. Siraj returned to thwart any late surge from SRH, trapping Aniket Verma leg before wicket and then bowling Simarjeet Singh with a reverse swing, concluding his spell with remarkable figures of 4-17, which included 17 dot balls. Pat Cummins contributed a quick 22 runs off 9 balls, and a 17-run final over from Ishant provided the SRH bowlers with a total of 152/8 to defend on a pitch that proved difficult for batting.
Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar do the job for GT
Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami made a strong start, but their efforts were marred in the final over of this phase by Simarjeet Singh, as Washington aggressively targeted his short deliveries, scoring two fours and two sixes in a 20-run over. Prior to this, Shami dismissed Sai Sudharsan for a mere five runs, while Cummins showcased his bowling skills by having Jos Buttler caught behind for a duck on just his third ball. GT elevated Washington to the No. 4 position, and he responded immediately with a significant contribution.
The partnership between the third-wicket pair capitalized on the late PowerPlay momentum, effectively preventing SRH from finding a way back into the match. None of Cummins’s bowling alternatives could replicate his early impact, as Gill and Washington steadily built their partnership, pulling the match further away from the hosts. Leg spinner Zeeshan Ansari bowled three overs, conceding 22 runs without taking a wicket, while the versatile Kamindu Mendis was hit for 12 runs in a single over. Cummins returned to bowl in the 11th over, desperately seeking a breakthrough, but was met with a stunning cover drive from Gill, arguably the shot of the match. Washington’s impressive innings came to an end due to a controversial decision from the third umpire after Aniket executed a diving catch near the ground at deep point. With limited bowling options left, Cummins turned to Abhishek Sharma’s left-arm spin. However, Sharma faced the left-handed Sherfane Rutherford, who struck four fours in that over, leaving GT needing just 23 runs to win.
As SRH introduced a new ball for the final overs, Ansari returned to bowl, but Gill quickly dispatched him for two fours—one a sweep behind square leg and the other an inside-out shot over extra cover. Rutherford then launched a delivery from Cummins out of the ground, followed by another four, before Gill sealed the victory with the winning run.
SCORECARD: Sunrisers Hyderabad 152/8 (Nitish Reddy 31, Heinrich Klaasen 27, Pat Cummins 22*; Mohammed Siraj 4-17, R Sai Kishore 2-24) lost to Gujarat Titans 153/3 in 16.4 overs (Shubman Gill 61, Washington Sundar 49; Mohammed Shami 2-28) by 7 wickets
