5 moments that defined SRH's second home win of IPL 2024

Gaikwad, Rahane wasting the first five overs

Chennai Super Kings could only score 33 runs in the first five overs, when the surface was best for batting, and that played a major role in their six-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5 (Friday).

At the end of the fifth over, Ruturaj Gaikwad was on 13 off 13 and Ajinkya Rahane was on 8 off 8. Amongst batters who have faced at least 30 deliveries in the powerplay in this year’s IPL, Gaikwad (118.8) has the third-worst strike rate.

Dube, the only CSK batter to stand out

The left-hander slammed 45 off 24, going at a strike rate of 187.5, while the others got 118 off 96 (SR 122.9). Dube hit two fours and four maximums. 

CSK’s scoring rate was more than 10 when he was in the middle (overs 7-13). Unsurprisingly, he has the most number of sixes (32) in the middle overs since IPL 2023.

SRH’s ploy of bowling slow and short

Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Markande and Shahbaz Ahmed bowled four overs between them and conceded 39 runs. 

Pat Cummins realised that the ideal thing to do on this surface was to hit the length and take the pace off, which is what him, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat did in the second half of the innings. Only 50 runs were scored in the last seven overs.

Abhishek never stops

The left-handed batter has been in stupendous hitting form in this year’s IPL, with a strike rate of 250 in his first 10 deliveries. In fact, his overall strike rate this season is 217.56.

Tonight, he killed the run-chase inside three overs. Abhishek clobbered 37 off 12, studded with three fours and four sixes. He hit Mukesh Choudhary for 27 runs in the second over. 

The required rate was 8.25 at the start of the innings but it dropped to almost 7 by the time he perished in the third over.

Markram makes a mark

The surface got slower and slower after the powerplay but Aiden Markram made sure CSK didn’t make a comeback in the middle overs. Not too many boundaries were hit in that phase but SRH didn’t need to, thanks to them scoring 78 in the powerplay.

Markram crafted 50 off 36 balls - his first fifty in the IPL after 13 innings. He got out in the 14th over but the game was decided by then.