No home comfort for Kings XI

Gaurav Kanthwal

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 28

Kings XI Punjab are slowly drifting towards the point of no return. Their fifth loss, to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 26 runs, has shrunk their already-slim hopes of making it to the playoffs.

The Glenn Maxwell-led team has lost to the defending champions twice this season. Their first loss was in a low-scoring game in Hyderabad, when, chasing a total of 159, they lost by five runs. On Friday, Kings XI’s chances of winning the match were dimmed once Hyderabad put up 207/3. The hosts needed to chase their highest total in the IPL with their in-form batsman Hashim Amla sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Though Shaun Marsh (84) put up a brave front, he could not take the team across the finish line. With Eoin Morgan (26), Marsh put up a 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket but that was the only high point of Kings’ batting.

The margin of defeat could have been bigger had Marsh not been dropped on 60 by Deepak Hooda off Moises Henriques, and on 75 by David Warner off Siddharth Kaul.

For Hyderabad, Ashish Nehra (3/42) and Siddharth Kaul (3/36) were the pick of the bowlers. Hyderabad’s leg-spinner Rashid Khan yet again bowled an economical spell (1/16) and got the wicket of Eoin Morgan (26), earning the Man of the Match award.

Put in to bat, Hyderabad muscled their way to a 200-plus total with David Warner (51), Shikhar Dhawan (71) and Kane Williamson (54) showing Kings’ pathetic bowling attack their place. Hyderabad scored 60/0 in the first six overs and then capitalised on their good start. Williamson took Ishant Sharma to the task with 20 runs off the 19th over, hitting him for a six and two boundaries and three doubles, one of which was a certain six had Mannan Vohra not plucked the ball out of thin air.

Hyderabad scored a 200-plus score despite 24 dots balls, equivalent to four overs. The hosts paid the penalty of wayward bowling and mindless batting.