In the heart of the cricket season, the 23rd match of the IPL 2024 brought an electrifying encounter between Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad (PBKS vs SRH) at the PCA New Stadium, Mullanpur. The toss favored PBKS, who opted to field first, setting the stage for a gripping contest.
Let check out PBKS vs SRH head to head in the IPL.
Venue: PCA New Stadium
21 games played between the PBKS vs SRH at PCA New Stadium, Mullanpur. Punjab Kings has won 7 games while Sunrisers Hyderabad has won 14 games.
Toss Moment
Punjab Kings won the toss and decided to Bowl first.
“We’ll field first. The wicket will stay more or less same, so we would look to restrict them to a low total. We were lucky to have won the last match, it’s good that we’re not depending on any one player and all are contributing. We’ve won two games, looking forward to a good run. we are playing with the same team.”
Shikhar Dhawan, PBKS Skipper
“We would have bowled first. Overall happy with the way things are going, two wins and we could have had one more game going our direction. We’ve got good strength and some depth in there as well. We are going with the same team as the last game.”
Pat Cummins, SRH Skipper
First Innings
Sunrisers Hyderabad Batting
The first innings saw SRH’s batsmen put up a valiant effort. Nitish Kumar Reddy was the standout performer, smashing a quickfire 64 off 37 balls, including four boundaries and five maximums.
Abdul Samad’s cameo of 25 from 12 balls, laced with five fours.
Travis Head’s brisk 21 with four boundaries contributed to SRH’s competitive total of 182 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Punjab Kings Bowling
PBKS’s bowlers, however, were not to be overshadowed. Arshdeep Singh’s exceptional spell of 4/29 in 4 overs was pivotal, claiming the wickets of key SRH batsmen including Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Harshal Patel and Sam Curran supported well, picking up two wickets each, while Kagiso Rabada chipped in with one wicket.
Second Innings
Punjab Kings Batting
Chasing 183 for victory, PBKS’s batting lineup showed resilience. Shashank Singh remained unbeaten on 46 from 25 deliveries, hitting six fours and a six.
Ashutosh Sharma’s aggressive 33 off 15 balls, Sam Curran’s all-round contribution of 29, and Sikandar Raza’s 28 runs kept the chase alive.
Despite their efforts, PBKS fell short by just 2 runs, ending their innings at 180/6.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Bowling
SRH’s bowlers held their nerve in the crucial moments. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 2/32 and Pat Cummins’ economical 1/22 were significant in keeping the run flow in check.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and T Natarajan also claimed a wicket each, contributing to SRH’s narrow victory.
Man of the Match
The match concluded with SRH winning by 2 runs, a thrilling finish that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s all-round performance earned him the Man of the Match award, a well-deserved recognition for his crucial role in SRH’s triumph.
” For me, it’s like a big contribution to my team and myself. I have been telling myself that I should believe in myself. Seamers were bowling well, I didn’t want to take on them. I knew that the spinners would come and I wanted to attack them, I just did that. The whole tournament, they are bowling slow bouncers and it’s working. I also used the dimensions. I just want to continue to perform for my team.”
Nitish Kumar Reddy, SRH
In summary, the PBKS vs SRH clash was a testament to the unpredictable nature of cricket, where every run counts and every over can turn the tide.
It was a match that had it all – explosive batting, strategic bowling, and nail-biting suspense, encapsulating the very essence of the IPL’s competitive spirit.