SRH VS CSK MATCH 18

Right then, another day in the 2024 Indian T20 League and we are done with another game. On one hand, Hyderabad have managed to bag a couple of crucial points but a shaky and depleted Chennai side have gone on to lose two games on the trot. Next up is a clash between unbeaten Rajasthan and an under-pressure Bengaluru side in Jaipur on Saturday, 6 April. That game will begin at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT) but our build-up will start a lot sooner. Do join us then. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Abhishek Sharma is the Player of the Match for his blistering knock at the top of the order. Sharma says that they knew it was a slow wicket and wanted to take on the Powerplay to get ahead in the game. Adds that they had a chance to prepare well and knew it would be slow and would help both the batter and the bowler. Mentions that he wants big scores and just went with the flow in this game and would want to score more next time. Ends by saying that he put in a lot of hard work and goes on to thank his dad, Yuvraj Singh, and Brian Lara for his success.

Pat Cummins, the captain of Hyderabad, reflects on the strategic decision to utilize fast bowlers. Cummins emphasizes the importance of securing points and going up in the ladder and then praises Abhishek Sharma's performance in the match says that he would not want to bowl to him in a match. Regarding the atmosphere at the venue, Cummins acknowledges the enthusiasm of the crowd, particularly when MS Dhoni walked out to bat. Looking ahead, he expresses optimism about the team's performance in the upcoming matches.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to put the opposition into bat first. It was a well-contested first 10 overs with Hyderabad picking up a couple of wickets but Chennai had a bit of an edge with Shivam Dube striking the ball cleanly. However, the nature of the surface was such that it got slower and the pacers applied their skills brilliantly, Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan and especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled valiantly at the death and restricted Chennai to a total of 165 runs which seemed under-par. And under-par it was as the home side managed to hunt it down with 11 balls remaining to pick up their second win of the campaign.

Aiden Markram, one of the stars of the chase for Hyderabad is now down for a chat. Markram says that the surface was different from the last game and once the ball became soft, it became tougher and tougher but is happy to get the win and get themselves in a good position. Adds that he didn't try to thin much and wanted to see ball and hit ball. Mentions that you play on tricky wickets, you still need to value the in-form batters and cash in early. Ends by saying that he isn't quite sure if they are a batting team or a bowling team but does mention that they are more likely a batting team.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of Chennai, reflects on the match, acknowledging the challenges posed by the slow pitch and pointing out the difficulties encountered by the batters. Despite being in a promising position at the halfway mark, Gaikwad admits that their inability to capitalize in the final five overs proved costly. He expresses surprise at the further slowdown of the pitch as the ball aged, which hindered their batting performance in the closing stages. Additionally, Gaikwad acknowledges the opposition's adeptness at utilizing the conditions to their advantage on their side of the boundary, contributing to Chennai's challenges during their innings.

Chennai on the other hand knew that they were a few runs short but had a plethora of spinners that could be used positively on this slow surface. However, the incoming Mukesh Choudhary was taken to the cleaners in the second over of the chase and Deepak Chahar also got hit for a few runs before he managed to get rid of the dangerous Abhishek Sharma. Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana were the first two spinners on show and while Jadeja looked sluggish, Theekshana picked up a wicket and then Moeen Ali came in and just gave his side half a chance with a couple of quick breakthroughs. However, they were always fighting a lost cause and in the end, they lost the game quite comfortably.

After having scored 277 runs the other night, Hyderabad knew, the pitch wasn't the same but they took advantage of the brand-new ball and Abhishek Sharma went berserk against the pacers. He didn't let them settle and picked off 27 runs in one over of the returning Mukesh Choudhary, targeting the right bowler. However, he couldn't stay on and Travis Head too couldn't make use of the good start. It was Aiden Markram who held the innings together in the middle phase and knocked a big chunk out of the target with a half-century. However, he played an uncharacteristic reverse sweep and got out LBW and Shahbaz Ahmed was then dismissed in the exact manner. Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy held their nerves and the former finished things off in style with a maximum.

Hyderabad manage to get over the line eventually and that early blitz inside the Powerplay has really proved to be the difference as the pitch became more and more abrasive and it got difficult to find fluency against the slower bowlers. It is the second straight win for Hyderabad at home and a second successive loss for Chennai, both away from home as well.

SIX! Nitish Kumar Reddy finishes the game in style and Hyderabad have sealed the win! A slower ball pitched up on the stumps. Nitish Kumar Reddy takes out the front foot and slams the ball straight over the bowler's head for a huge maximum. HYDERABAD WIN BY 6 WICKETS!

Pitches the ball up on the stumps. Heinrich Klaasen drives the ball straight back to the bowler on the bounce.

Another short ball at the batter and Heinrich Klaasen pulls it away to the right of deep mid-wicket for a couple.

FOUR! Pitches the ball up outside the off stump line and Heinrich Klaasen takes the front foot out and slams the ball to the left of long off for a superb boundary.

2 BYES! A slower ball dropped in short outside the off stump. Heinrich Klaasen looks to slog it but misses the ball. MS Dhoni fumbles the ball behind the stumps and the batters pick up 2 runs.

Bangs in short outside the off stump line. Nitish Kumar Reddy pulls it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Hits the length hard with pace on top of the off stump. Nitish Kumar Reddy takes the front foot out and taps it back to the bowler.