The time has arrived for a handful of teams that have notched up impressive victories in the last fortnight of the VIVO IPL to take their game plan to the next level, win more and secure their berth in the playoffs.
Last year’s winner Sunrisers Hyderabad is one among the three teams that figures in the top half of the table with four wins and eight points from half a dozen matches. On Saturday Sunrisers would complete its half-way stage when it locks horns with Rising Pune Supergiant for the first time in this year’s league.
On current form the Sunrisers seems to have the edge. After two back-to-back defeats against KKR and MI, David Warner’s team got back to winning ways against Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils. Warner has shown good form making 239 runs and Shikhar Dhawan 205.
However, it was Kane Williamson’s 51-ball 89 which helped Sunrisers set a formidable target of 192 and get the better of Daredevils by 15 runs on Wednesday.
The IPL rule of allowing teams to field only four overseas players have made things that much tough for captains and team managements, but Warner wrote Williamson’s name for the first time in the playing XI against Daredevils, and the New Zealander who has played 39 Twenty20 bilateral internationals, showed his class. This is Williamson’s third season in IPL and it’s hard to believe that such a highly gifted batsmen has just played nine matches.
After turning out to be the key wicket-taker for Sunrisers, leg-spinner Rashid Khan made way for the crafty seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to come into his own, and lead the bowling honours list with 15 wickets.
“Kane made an impact in his first game for us. He and Shikhar built us a platform. Bhuvi was all class. I know I can bank on him,’’ said Warner after his team’s fourth win.
The home team has leaned heavily on skipper Steve Smith (180 runs), Ajinkya Rahane (119) and Ben Stokes (100). The local talent, Rahul Tripathi, has caught the attention of the discerning with his fearless strokeplay.
Stokes won his first IPL Man-of-the-Match against RCB with a three for 18 effort. There was support for him from Mumbai seamer Shardul Thakur, Saurashtra’s Jaydev Unadkat and leg-spinner Imran Tahir. This bowling pack will have to restrict the Sunrisers and deliver another win for the Supergiant.
