IPL 2019: Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Kings XI Punjab by 45 runs

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], Apr 29 (ANI): Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Kings XI Punjab by 45 runs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday.
With this win, Sunrisers Hyderabad remain in the fourth spot in the league standings with 12 points, whereas Kings XI Punjab is placed on the sixth position with 10 points.
Chasing a mammoth score of 213, Kings XI Punjab got off to the worst start possible as they lost their big hitter Chris Gayle (4) in the third over of the innings. Khaleel Ahmed sent the left-hander back to the pavilion.
KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal retrieved the innings for Punjab as the duo put on a 60-run stand, but the partnership was cut short as Rashid Khan dismissed Agarwal (27) in the ninth over. Nicholas Pooran played a 21-run cameo off just 10 balls before getting dismissed by Khaleel in the 11th over with Punjab still requiring 118 more runs to win.
Punjab kept losing wickets at regular intervals. David Miller (11) also failed to leave a mark as he was dismissed cheaply by Rashid. None of the other batsmen were able to provide support to Rahul and the team was under constant pressure owing to the asking run-rate.
Rahul (79) looked firm, but his dismissal in the penultimate over meant it was just a matter of time for Punjab. In the end, SRH registered a comfortable 45-run victory. 
Earlier, David Warner's knock of 81 runs off just 56 balls enabled Sunrisers Hyderabad to post 212 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets in the allotted twenty overs after being put to bat first.
SRH got off to a flying start as both openers Warner and Wriddhiman Saha hammered the visitors with regular boundaries. Both the batsmen were at their fluent best, enabling the team to rack up the highest powerplay score of this season. SRH posted 77 runs inside the first six overs.
Punjab got the much-needed breakthrough as Saha (28) was finally dismissed by Murugan Ashwin in the seventh over of the innings.
Manish Pandey came out to bat at number three and he, along with Warner, ensured that the team does not lose momentum in the middle overs. The duo stitched together a partnership of 82 runs, raising the team's hopes of putting up a huge total on the board.
Punjab staged their comeback as skipper Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed both Pandey (36) and Warner (81) in quick succession, leaving SRH at 163 for three after sixteen overs.
Kings XI kept scalping wickets in the final overs, but Kane Williamson (14) and Mohammad Nabi's (20) powerful strikes in the 18th over enabled the side to go past the 200-run mark. 
Sunrisers Hyderabad will next play against Mumbai Indians on May 2 whereas Kings XI Punjab will take on Kolkata Knight Riders on May 3.
Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 212/6 (DA Warner 81, MK Pandey 36, R Ashwin 2-30) defeat Kings XI Punjab 167/8 (KL Rahul 79, MA Agarwal 27, Rashid Khan 3-21) by 45 runs. (ANI)