Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) produced an all-round effort to rout Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Khaleel Ahmed returned with a three-wicket haul t restrict Kolkata to 159 runs before David Warner, and Jonny Bairstow’s match-winning stand saw them home convincingly.
Chasing 160 runs, Warner and Bairstow added 131 runs for the first wicket in just 12.2 overs. The duo has been the deadliest opening pair in this season. Moreover, they have been the reason behind Sunrisers Hyderabad’s success this season. The Australian-England combo added 72 runs in the powerplay overs to set the tone for the chase. They continued with the onslaught to cross the 100-run mark in style and in the process, both Warner and Bairstow crossed their half-centuries.
Although Warner got out after a well-made 67 runs, Bairstow had no intention to stop. He remained unbeaten on 80 runs to close the tie with 30 balls to spare. Previously, Khaleel Ahmed stood out with a three-wicket haul to keep the star-studded Kolkata Knight Riders in check. He got the better of Sunil Narine after a blistering opening start. Besides, he also got the better of Shubman Gill before returning in the death overs to dismiss Chris Lynn. In the middle-overs, Lynn and Rinku Singh combined well to take them over the 150-run mark.
Khaleel Ahmed’s three-wicket haul earned him the man of the match award which the young fast bowler dedicated to his mother. Khaleel said although the wicket was slow he read it well and bowled it accordingly. In conclusion, Khaleel said that he has been working on his fitness and trying to get stronger.
“Quite a good feeling. The wicket was a little bit slow. After a while, I understood how the wicket was behaving. They played exceptionally well. My mom used to tell me, win a man of the match award and I dedicate this award to her. I have been working on my fitness and trying to get stronger,” Khaleel Ahmed said after the end of the match.