A fine bowling performance and Abhishek Sharma's 75 helped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) win their first match of IPL 2022. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have not impressed with either bat or ball this season, and remain winless after four matches. This is only the second time that Chennai lost four matches on a trot: the previous occurrence came in 2010.
Both teams went with a few changes to benefit from the day game. Chennai brought in an extra spinner, Maheesh Theekshana for Dwaine Pretorius. Hyderabad, who won the toss, got Marco Jansen and Shashank Singh for Romario Shepherd and Abdul Samad.
Chennai Super Kings 154/7
Chennai again failed to have a good start. Robin Uthappa fell for 15 and Ruturaj Gaikwad for 16 inside the Powerplay. Moeen Ali and Ambati Rayudu then put on their partnership, but seldom found the boundary. They took the score to 98 before Sundar got Rayudu for 27.
Within the next two overs, Aiden Markram dismissed the dangerous Moeen Ali for 48, and T Natarajan claimed Shivam Dube for three. M.S. Dhoni, too, fell for three. In the end it took a 15-ball 23 from Ravindra Jadeja to take Chennai to 154/7.
Sunrisers Hyderabad 155/2 in 17.4 overs
Despite two off days in the Powerplay, Sunrisers backed their opening pair of Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek hit Theekshana for a six and a four in the last over of the Powerplay, and the pair took the score to 69/0 in 10 overs. Abhishek then brought up his first fifty of the season, and immediately celebrated the milestone with a six.
Mukesh Choudhary got Williamson next over, for a 40-ball 32. Rahul Tripathi came out and hit a six in the same over. Both men hit boundaries at regular intervals to bring the equation to 30 fin four overs. Tripathi hit Jordan for two fours and a six in the next over. Dwayne Bravo eventually got Abhishek for 75, but it came too late in the evening. Tripathi (39* in 15 balls) saw Hyderabad home in the 18th over.
Brief scores
Chennai Super Kings 154/7 in 20 overs (Moeen Ali 48; Washington Sundar 2-21) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 155/2 in 17.4 overs (Abhishek Sharma 75; Dwayne Bravo 1-29) by 8 wickets with 14 balls to spare. Player of the Match: Abhishek Sharma.