SRH power crushes KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders slipped to their second successive defeat after faltering in a chase of 227 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at home. Heinrich Klaasen's fifty, following a record 82-run opening stand, and a late flourish from Nitish Kumar Reddy propelled the visitors to a mammoth 226/8 despite two mini batting collapses. KKR struggled for meaningful partnerships and caved in the middle overs, falling a massive 65 runs short to concede SRH their first points of the season.

Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 226/8 in 20 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 52 off 35, Abhishek Sharma 48 off 21, Travis Head 46 off 21, Nitish Kumar Reddy 39 off 24; Blessing Muzarabani 4-41) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 161 in 16 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 52 off 29, Finn Allen 28 off 7, Rinku Singh 35 off 25; Jaydev Unadkat 3-21, Eshan Malinga 2-14, Nitish Kumar Reddy 2-17) by 65 runs.

SRH's intent with the bat was clear. Contributions came right through the batting order in a similar all-or-nothing template, helping them to a colossal 226/8. The openers put on an 82-run stand in 5.2 overs, with both making crucial 40s in 21 balls each. Heinrich Klaasen fueled the middle-overs surge, hammering a 35-ball 52 after a brief meltdown where SRH lost three wickets for seven runs in six deliveries. The depth in their batting then showed, with Nitish Kumar Reddy chipping in a cameo of 39 in 24 deliveries to ensure a 200+ finish.

How good was Abhishek Sharma?

He was the Abhishek Sharma in SRH orange known for the last two seasons. He contributed 33 in the 82-run opening stand, but those runs came at a strike-rate of 253, in just 13 deliveries. For the first four overs, Head took the lead, but Abhishek's take-down of Varun Chakaravarthy was a sight to behold. He welcomed the spinner with two sixes over long-on, then hit a hat-trick of boundaries, making it a massive 25-run over before taking on Sunil Narine next.

KKR's innings featured two very contrasting approaches. Ajinkya Rahane consumed 10 deliveries for his sedate contribution of eight. On the other hand was Finn Allen, who dealt only in boundaries. He hit a brisk 28 off just seven, and all his six scoring shots were either fours or sixes before he was dismissed on the ninth ball of the innings. KKR managed a solid PowerPlay score in reply, courtesy of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who carried forward the tempo set by Allen. When SRH introduced Abhishek's part-time spin early, Raghuvanshi slammed two big sixes before bringing up the team's 50 in just 20 deliveries.

It began with an unfortunate run-out off the last ball of the PowerPlay when Raghuvanshi called for a non-existent run, costing KKR Cam Green's wicket. With three wickets down in the first phase, even though KKR had 74 runs on the board, they were always going to play catch-up. Raghuvanshi kept finding the boundaries during his stay but was involved in another run-out soon after his fifty. This time, Rinku Singh sold him down the river with a non-existent run. The 46-run stand was the only collaborative partnership through KKR's batting innings, a primary reason for the big loss. Rinku chipped in a handy 35, but once Reddy sent him back, KKR lost regular wickets and succumbed to 161 with four overs wasted.

What's next for the two teams?

After two games away, SRH head home for the first time this season. They'll host Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday (April 5). KKR have a break before they welcome Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens on Monday night (April 6).