Hasaranga, Faf fashion crushing win for RCB

The importance of a good power play cannot be overstated. Royal Challengers Bangalore recovered from an ordinary start.

- Jac. Gladson

5/18 Wanindu Hasaranga has produced his best bowling performance in T20, bettering the 5 for 26 for Colombo Cricket Club against Negombo Cricket Club at Colombo on February 18, 2019. These are his only two five-wicket hauls in T20.

Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t and suffered their fourth successive defeat.

Like in the match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the tendency to leave it late — they needed 124 from the last 10 overs and 82 from the last five — will impact the playoff chances of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who faltered once again in the chase and lost by 67 runs after succumbing to the wiles of Wanindu Hasaranga (5/18).

Two wickets in the first over meant SRH had their task cut out in overhauling RCB’s 192 for three, which was built on the second wicket partnership of 105 (73b) between skipper Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar (48; 38b, 4x4, 6x2), and Dinesh Karthik’s blitzkrieg. Karthik’s unbeaten 30 (8b, 4x1, 6x4) included 25 in the final over by Fazalhaq Farooqi as the SRH pace attack felt the brunt of the RCB batters smarting from their nine-wicket defeat in the first leg at the Brabourne.