IPL 2020: Pushed to the wall, Sunrisers Hyderabad produced a clinical performance to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets and stay alive within the Indian Premier League play-off race on Saturday.
SRH first produced an excellent bowling effort to limit a batting-heavy RCB to a modest 120 for seven then chased down the target in 14.1 overs to zoom to fourth spot in the standings from seventh.
SRH now have 12 points from 13 games and need to win their last league game against table-toppers Mumbai Indians to remain within the hunt.
RCB, who needed a win to seal their play-offs berth, slumped to their third consecutive defeat within the tournament but stayed at second place within the table with 14 points from 13 games.
The 121-run target was always getting to be a enter the park for SRH during a small ground like Sharjah unless RCB inflicted early damage which they did not do.
RCB removed SRH skipper David Warner (8) early but they needed more wickets upfront to be within the contest.
After Warner's dismissal, Wriddhiman Saha and Manish Pandey (26 off 19) shared 50 runs for the second wicket in pace to require control of the chase.
But some brilliant spin bowling from Yuzvendra Chahal within the middle overs and over cautious batting from SRH gave RCB outside hope.
Chahal dismissed Pandey and Saha then Kane Williamson (8) was sent back by Isuru Udana to give RCB a ray of hope albeit the competition was tilted considerably in favour of SRH.
Jason Holder played a 10-ball 26-run cameo towards the top to require SRH home comfortably.
Earlier, SRH strangled RCB by learning wickets at regular intervals after opting to bowl.
Young Devdutt Padikkal (5) and skipper Virat Kohli (7) departed in quick succession, falling to Sandeep Sharma (2/20). Sandeep has now dismissed Kohli for a record seven times in IPL.
AB de Villiers made a run-a-ball 24 before perishing then Josh Philippe (32) again got a start but did not capitalise. He was caught by Manish Pandey off Rashid Khan (1/24) within the next over as RCB slumped to 76 for four in 11.4 overs.
RCB were wiped out by some incisive bowling from SRH bowlers upfront, leading to lack of partnerships, which is significant for any team to post an honest total on the board.
RCB's struggle with the bat are often gauged from the very fact that they hit only nine boundaries and a six in their entire innings despite having the likes of Padikkal, Kohli, De Villers and Chris Morris up their ranks.
After the first blows, Washington Sundar (21) and Gurkeerat Singh (15 not out) tried to resurrect the innings with a 30-run fifth-wicket stand but they never got the momentum.
Towards the end, both Sundar and Morris departed in quick succession to add misery to RCB's woes.
It was a clinical performance from SRH bowlers as RCB batsmen struggled to get going after the early dismissals.
Jason Holder too shone bright with the ball with figures of two for 27 from his four overs.
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