NEW DELHI: In what was meant to be a celebratory night for MS Dhoni’s 400th T20 appearance, Sunrisers Hyderabad crashed the party with a ruthless pace performance, defeating Chennai Super Kings by five wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
Veteran seamer Harshal Patel starred with the ball, picking up 4 for 28, as CSK were bowled out for 154 in pursuit of SRH’s 149/5.
Harshal’s clever variations and calm under pressure proved decisive, especially on a surface that didn’t offer much pace or bounce.
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It was a well-rounded bowling effort from SRH. Pat Cummins (2/21), Mohammed Shami (1/28), Jaydev Unadkat (2/21), and Kamindu Mendis (1/26) all chipped in to ensure CSK never truly gained control of the chase.
CSK suffered an immediate blow when Shaik Rasheed fell on the very first ball of the innings. Harshal then struck twice to remove Sam Curran and the dangerous Brevis, who was threatening to steal the game with his aggressive hitting.
Harshal’s dismissal of Dhoni, caught at point for a single, silenced the crowd and swung momentum back firmly in SRH’s favour.
Despite flashes of resistance, especially from Dewald Brevis (42 off 25) and Ayush Mhatre (30 off 19), CSK kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Coming to chase a total of 155, SRH crossed the finishing mark with eight balls to spare, powered by a steady 44 from Ishan Kishan and a late cameo from Kamindu Mendis (32 not out off 18).
Heinrich Klaasen chipped in with seven, while Travis Head (19) provided a brief spark at the top.
Though CSK bowlers, especially Noor Ahmad (2/22) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/16), kept things tight, SRH managed to make the chase a comfortable one, thanks to late momentum.
It was a bittersweet night for Chennai fans, as their icon Dhoni reached a historic milestone, but the team faltered under pressure, undone by SRH’s relentless pace assault led by Harshal Patel.
