CHANDIGARH, India (AP) — Shreyas Iyer hit five sixes in scoring 69 not out off 33 balls as Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.
Punjab registered its second-highest successful chase in the IPL, finishing with 223-4 in 18.5 overs, with openers Priyansh Arya (57) and Prabhsimran Singh (51) also scoring quick-fire half-centuries.
Skipper Iyer then took center stage as Punjab won for a third time in four games.
Hyderabad had finished with 219-6 in 20 overs with Abhishek Sharma scoring 74 off 28 balls, with five fours and eight sixes. It was the Sunrisers’ third loss in four games.
In Saturday’s evening game, Chennai Super Kings host Delhi Capitals.
Chasing 220, Arya and Singh started on a hectic note — the opening duo scored 93 runs in the six powerplay overs. They hit 50 off 21 balls, and the next 50 off only 18 balls.
Arya brought up his 50 off only 16 balls with four sixes and another five fours, hitting Harshal Patel for 21 runs in the sixth over — it was the second quickest IPL half-century for Punjab.
Singh also scored 50 off 24 balls, hitting four sixes.
Left-arm wrist spinner Shivang Kumar (3-33) then got a double breakthrough — Arya was caught at deep midwicket in the seventh over, and then two overs later, Singh was out caught at long off. Punjab was pegged down to 117-2 in 8.5 overs.
Kumar struck for a third time as Cooper Connelly was out caught for 11 as it became 128-3 in 10.2 overs.
Iyer took charge of the innings thereafter, adding 69 off 35 balls with impact substitute Nehal Wadhera.
The skipper did most of the heavy lifting in that partnership — he scored 54 off 21 balls therein, also reaching 50 off only 24 balls with four sixes.
He stayed unbeaten until the end as Punjab crossed the finish line with seven balls to spare.
Earlier, Hyderabad’s Sharma smashed 50 off only 18 balls with five sixes.
Travis Head also got off to a good start, scoring 38 off 23, as the Hyderabad opening duo scored 105 runs in the powerplay.
The two teams together hit 16 sixes in two power plays — an IPL record for a single game.
Surprisingly, Shashank Singh was brought on to bowl medium-pace in the ninth over and picked 2-20 in three overs, accounting for both openers in the space of three balls.
First, Head was caught at long on, and two balls later, Sharma too was out caught at deep cover.
Hyderabad managed to cross 200, but Punjab overpowered it for a third successful chase this season.
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