The race for the playoffs in IPL 2015 is going into the death overs, after the Sunrisers Hyderabad kept themselves soaring with a clinical victory over the Kings XK Punjab in IPL 2015.
SRH were coming off four wins in five, and they made it five in six with a clinical win over the Kings XI Punjab, even if Ishant Sharma did his best to lose it all, gifting David Miller length balls and full tosses in the final over which went for 22 runs, when KXIP required 28 for victory.
That victory for the Sunrisers was driven by David Warner, with the skipper yet again showing his worth with a terrific 81 (52b, 6x4, 5x6) to lead his team to 185/5 in 20 overs.
The chase was about plenty of fumbling for KXIP, with only Miller coming to the fore, and in some style too, cracking nine sixes, three of them off the last Ishant over, and two fours in his 89 (44b).
KXIP, for some weird reason, continue to stick with Murali Vijay, who flattered to deceive again with an 18-ball 24 (4x4, 1x6). Not that Manan Vohra was that good either, but it is a bit puzzling that they haven't gone with the opening combination – Vohra and Virender Sehwag -- that made life hell for the bowlers last season often enough.
Once the openers fell, both off Bipul Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha and Glenn Maxwell also were dismissed without affecting the chase too much, leaving it all for Miller and George Bailey to do.
While Bailey, who was one of three victims of the brilliant Moises Henriques (4-0-16-3), would not come to the party either, Miller certainly did, using that "If it is in the arc, it is out of the park" saying to outstanding effect.
However, 186 is the kind of chase you just cannot pull off on your own, and SRH, who had Trent Boult back leading the bowling attack, just about held on, despite that late flourish from the six-smashing left-hander.
Earlier, it was the Warner show in Hyderabad, as the Australian went into tonk-town in tremendous fashion. In a way, the SRH innings was also similar to the KXIP one, in that not too many other batsmen contributed big runs, but batting first and second are completely different scenarios.
Warner also showed the worth of an opener getting runs, something KXIP haven't been able to do at all this season, and when you get that momentum right from the off, it is difficult for the opposing team to get back up from that early blow.
SRH jumped back up to fourth with the win, with 14 points in 12 matches, one ahead of RCB, who have played a game less.
