IPL 2022 | GT vs SRH | Sunrisers snap Titans' winning streak via comfortable win

Kane Williamson's half-century and cameos from Abhishek Sharma and Nicholas Pooran has helped the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) claim their second win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the expense of the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 8 wickets on Monday night.

Chasing 163, the Sunrisers' opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Kane Williamson were slow to get off the blocks as they managed just 25 runs in the first five overs.

Gujarat could have had Williamson in the first itself when Mohammed Shami pinned the SRH skipper plumb in front. However, the Titans didn't appeal and much to their despair, ball tracking confirmed that the ball would have hit the top of middle.

Nevertheless, the acceleration from SRH came through the bat of Sharma in the last over of the powerplay as the southpaw smashed Lockie Ferguson for 4 fours.

The 66-run opening stand was finally dislodged by ex-SRH player, Rashid Khan, when Abhishek (42 off 32 deliveries) mistimed an attempted pull-shot to hole out at deep mid-wicket.

Just 42 runs came between overs 6 to 12 with Williamson going at less than a strike rate of 100. He finally got a move on in the 13th over bowled by Hardik, hitting a couple of sixes courtesy of a top-edge over keeper's head and a sumptuous stroke over deep fine-leg.

Rahul Tripathi backed it up with a six off Tewatia in the next over but proceeded to pull his hamstring during the process and had to hobble off the ground.

But Kane continued to spearhead the ship and in the process, he notched up his first 50 of the season with a cheeky scoop for a six off Ferguson before creaming him past extra-cover for another boundary to reduce the equation to 34 off last 4.

Hardik sent Williamson back in the next over after the SRH skipper, in an attempt to drag a slower delivery across the line, holed out at long-on, and conceded just 6 runs to give new life back into the game.

Ferguson could have had Nicholas Pooran in the 18th over after he induced a top-edge from the southpaw's bat but he failed to latch on the return catch. 

Pooran then proceeded to rub salt in the wounds as he picked Ferguson for an easy four past short fine-leg before effectively killing the chase with a nonchalant six off his legs.

Pandya's maiden 50 as GT skipper, Manohar's late assault guided the Titans to 162

Earlier, Hyderabad got off to the worst possible start that they could have imagined after Kane Williamson won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was all over the place with his line in the first over, and eventually ended up conceding the most runs (17) that any bowler gave away in the first over of any IPL game.

Bhuvi did come back admirably in his next over as he dismissed an in-form Shubman Gill for a 9-ball 7 courtesy of a sensational diving catch by Rahul Tripathi at extra-cover. Overall, he conceded just 21 runs in his next three besides claiming two wickets.

Despite a poor 1st over from Bhuvi, which gave Gujarat a head start of 17 runs, the Titans failed to capitalise the powerplay to the hilt, managing just 34 runs in the next five at the close of Shubman and Matthew Wade's wicket.

Wade's (19 off 19 deliveries) struggles continued and this time it was the skiddy pace of Umran Malik that led to his undoing.

Skipper Hardik Pandya held the fort for his team from one end, playing some delightful strokes in the process. His disdainful cover-drive off Umran after he had been roughed up by a bumper, was easily the highlight of his unbeaten 42-ball 50.

David Miller too struggled to get going as he perished to his compatriot Marco Jansen for a 15-ball 12 but once again young Abhinav Manohar impressed everyone with his fearless hitting.

Fortunes favors the brave, they say, and it proved right in the case of Manohar, who survived as many as three dropped chances during his whirlwind 21-ball 35- an innings which was studded with five fours and a six.

Natarajan was the pick of the bowlers for the SunRisers, especially at the death, as he nailed his Yorkers brilliantly to give just 20 runs in his last two overs besides claiming Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan in the final over.

Gujarat managed just 44 runs in the last five, and ended up with a total of 162/7.

Brief Score:

Gujarat Titans- 162/7 (20)

Hardik Pandya 50* (42), Abhinav Manohar 35 (21); 

T Natarajan 2/34 (4), Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/37 (4)

Sunrisers Hyderabad 168/2 (19.1)

Kane Williamson 57 (46), Abhishek Sharma 42 (32); 

Hardik Pandya 1/27 (4), Rashid Khan 1/28 (4) 

Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 8 wickets.