Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) tucked away two points on the night and – almost as pleasing for them – the top two spots in the Orange Cap race. Heinrich Klaasen’s brisk 40 off 26 and Ishan Kishan’s arresting 91 from 44 pushed the pair to first and second in the season’s run chart.
“Nothing fancy, just kept swinging straight,” Klaasen offered, still in his pads. Kishan smiled wider: “Some days the gaps look bigger – today was one of those.” The left-hander vaulted 22 places in one outing, while Klaasen slipped past overnight leader Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who fell first ball. All three are now beyond 200 tournament runs.
Sooryavanshi’s Rajasthan Royals colleagues had little better luck. Yashasvi Jaiswal managed a single; Dhruv Jurel didn’t trouble the scorers. Royals leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi stayed second in the Purple Cap list despite four wicketless overs. “I chased the magic ball and never found it,” he admitted. Jofra Archer, sharper at the finish, snatched two wickets and moved to fourth on seven for the season.
SRH’s attack keeps ticking over rather than dominating. Harsh Dubey, still their only bowler in the top ten, drew a blank, yet Eshan Malinga’s double lifted him to five wickets. Newcomers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain (each with earlier four-fors) lurk just behind.
It is very early, as every coach keeps repeating, but the statistics – and perhaps the mood – are turning a shade more orange with each match.
