The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their second consecutive defeat in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) after losing to the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets on Friday, April 5. The win was SRH's second of the season at home.
SRH chased down a target of 166 runs with six wickets and 11 balls to spare, securing their second win of the 2024 IPL season. Chennai, the defending champions, suffered their second consecutive loss after winning their opening two matches.
The victory propelled SRH to fifth place in the standings, while CSK remained in third. It also improved Hyderabad's head-to-head record against Chennai, with just their sixth win in 20 meetings. The Hyderabad franchise still trails significantly, having lost 14 of those contests.
SRH Explode Early
The home side set the tone with the fastest IPL fifty in history, reaching the milestone in just 3.3 overs. Opener Abhishek Sharma led the charge, scoring a 12-ball 37 to climb into the top five of the IPL 2024 Orange Cap race. He currently trails Virat Kohli (RCB, 203 runs), Riyan Parag (RR, 181 runs), Heinrich Klaasen (SRH, 178 runs), and Shubman Gill (GT, 164 runs).
Chennai Fights Back, But Falls Short
Chennai made a steady start with openers Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Ravindra in the fourth over. Gaikwad followed soon after, departing for 26 off 21 balls to Shahbaz Ahmed.
Shivam Dube provided a spark for CSK, smashing 45 runs off 24 balls with two boundaries and four sixes before his dismissal. Ajinkya Rahane (35 runs off 30 balls) also contributed, but Jaydev Unadkat ended his innings in the 14th over.
Ravindra Jadeja (31 off 23 balls) and Daryl Mitchell (13 off 11 balls) added some late runs, but T Natarajan dismissed Mitchell in the final over. MS Dhoni, entering in the final over, could only manage one run off two balls as CSK finished with 165 for 5.
Hyderabad Cruises to Victory
Openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head got SRH off to a flying start. Sharma, particularly, dominated CSK's Impact Substitute Mukesh Chowdhary for 27 runs in the second over. He reached 37 runs off just 12 balls before Deepak Chahar dismissed him in the third over.
Despite Sharma's departure, SRH continued their onslaught, reaching their fastest-ever fifty in the IPL in 3.3 overs. He hit three boundaries and four sixes, taking his IPL 2024 tally to 161 runs in four innings.
Aiden Markram (50 off 35 balls) and Head (32 runs) built on Sharma's foundation with a 60-run stand for the second wicket. Moeen Ali dismissed both batsmen, followed by Shahbaz Ahmed (18 runs off 19 balls).
Heinrich Klaasen and Nitesh Kumar Reddy saw SRH home with ease, chasing down the target with 11 balls to spare.
Up Next
SRH will next face Punjab Kings in Mohali on April 9, while CSK will take on Kolkata Knight Riders on April 8.
