Twenty-nine matches into the season, SRH’s stunning resurgence is arguably the most sensational story of IPL 2023. When they lost their two opening games, SRH appeared to be continuing their form of the previous season. Then came four consecutive wins, proving their hardened critics wrong.
IPL Points Table as on 17 April 2023:
| Franchise | M | W | L | Pt | NRR |
| GT | 6 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 0.395 |
| LSG | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 0.296 |
| RCB | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 0.142 |
| SRH | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | -0.077 |
| RR | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0.389 |
| KKR | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0.223 |
| PBKS | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0.109 |
| DC | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0.219 |
| CSK | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | -0.638 |
| MI | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | -1.048 |
Highlights of the week gone by
SRH zoom into play-off contention
After two losses in as many matches, SRH have boosted their chances of a place in the knock out rounds. They have done so with four wins on the trot.
First win of the season versus CSK
On 9 April, CSK faced off against SRH, with both teams seeking their first win of the season. SRH won the toss and chose to field. A steady fall of wickets saw CSK reduced to 122 for 6. For SRH, Washington Sundar and T Natarajan took two wickets each.
Though some late pyrotechnics helped the defending champions to 154/7, the score was never going to daunt the SRH batsmen. They got to the target with 8 wickets and 14 balls to spare, thanks largely to Abhishek Sharma’s 75 from 50 balls.
Two in two versus GT
On 11 April, SRH won the toss and invited GT to bat first. Despite a captain’s knock of 50 from 42 balls by Hardik Pandya, GT finished with 162/7 on a good batting surface. Natarajan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets each for SRH.
Skipper Williamson led SRH’s reply from the front with 57 in 46 balls. Aggressive knocks from Pooran and Markram helped SRH cross the line with 8 wickets and 5 balls to spare.
Three on the trot versus KKR
On 15 April, KKR, put in to bat by SRH, made 175/8. Nitish Rana (54 from 36 balls) and Andre Russell (49 from 25) made the biggest contributions. T Natarajan took 3 for 37 to emerge the most successful SRH bowler.
After SRH were reduced to 2 for 39 in the 6th over, a 94-run stand was just what the doctor ordered. Fifties by Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram helped SRH to win by 8 wickets with 14 balls to spare. Barring Andre Russell (2 for 20) none of the other KKR bowlers made a lasting impact.
Four in a row versus PBKS
On 17 April, SRH won the toss versus PBKS and elected to field. Eight overs into the match, PBKS found themselves in trouble at 61 for 4. Despite a brief fightback with a 71-run stand for the 5th wicket, PBKS were bowled out for 151.
Livingstone (60 from 33 balls) was the stand out performer. For SRH, Umran Malik (4/28) did the most damage. In the event, SRH won by 7 wickets on the back of contributions from many batsmen.
GT shine, as teams scramble for mid-table domination
GT continued to be the surprise packet of the season as they climbed to the top of the table with 5 wins in 6 matches. Midway through the season, there are three teams on 8 points and three on 6. Net run rates could come into play to help decide which teams qualify for the knockout stage.
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