In an exciting encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) outplayed Punjab Kings (PBKS) to register their first win of IPL 2023. In response, PBKS lost Mayank Agarwal early and struggled to get going. KL Rahul held the innings together at one end with a sedate 31 off 38 balls, but no other batsman offered any support. Mayank Markande, playing his first game of the season, played a pivotal role in taking three wickets, including the big scalp of Rahul, to turn the tide in SRH’s favour. In the end, PBKS fell short by 37 runs, giving SRH their first victory of the season. Speaking after the match, Dhawan expressed his gratitude for his innings and how he tried to play according to the situation. He spoke about how the wicket was initially low and seaming, making it difficult for the SRH batsmen to score freely. While he was pleased with how the bowlers performed, he also acknowledged that SRH’s total was well below par and that a score of 175-180 would have been more competitive. Aiden Markram, who played a crucial role in the chase along with Rahul Tripathi, expressed his happiness at getting his first win of the season. He spoke about how identifying where the team could improve was crucial and how believing in themselves helped them win. He also praised Markande and Tripathi for their performances and how they showed their class on the night. PBKS, on the other hand, would rue the missed opportunity of not posting a higher score after a promising start. Rahul’s sedate innings showed that they could have paced their innings better, and they were always behind the asking rate, even when Rahul was at the crease. Ultimately, their middle-order failed to capitalize on the platform laid by the openers, and they lost wickets at regular intervals, failing to put up a fight.
