SRH Secure First IPL 2023 Win with Ruthless All-Round Display
The Hyderabad stadium was buzzing on April 9, not because of another run-of-the-mill cricket match, but due to a chase that saw Sunrisers Hyderabad finally break their winless streak in IPL 2023. They didn’t just win; they dominated Punjab Kings from start to finish, making a tough 144-run target look almost trivial. The chase wrapped up at 145/2 with nearly three overs left—SRH fans could finally breathe easy after two frustrating losses.
The heroics came straight out of the SRH middle order. Rahul Tripathi was simply sensational, unbeaten on 74 from 48 balls. He didn’t do it alone—captain Aiden Markram stood strong at the other end, hammering 37 runs off just 21 balls. Together, they stitched an unbroken stand of 100 runs off 52 deliveries. Punjab’s bowlers, who looked threatening at first, suddenly had no answers as the boundaries started coming thick and fast. Tripathi’s aggression against Punjab’s spinners flipped the momentum completely, and Markram’s intent meant there was no letting up even when the finish line was in sight.
Punjab’s frustration was made worse by missed chances in the field and the feeling that once SRH had their eye in, the tide had turned for good. The chase had looked tricky when both SRH openers fell inside eight overs, but Punjab failed to build on their chances and were punished ruthlessly.
Dhawan Fights Alone as Punjab’s Batting Crumbles
All that drama wouldn’t have happened without Shikhar Dhawan’s one-man show in the first innings. The Punjab skipper carved out a stunning 99 not out from just 66 balls, hitting 12 fours and launching five towering sixes into the crowd. At one end, it was pure class and poise, but from the other, it was a procession—no one else in the Punjab lineup even crossed 25. Punjab slumped from 62/2 to 78/6 in a devastating collapse.
The main culprit? Mayank Markande. Brought into the side for the first time this season, the SRH leg-spinner delivered a dream spell of 4/15 from four overs. He always looked threatening, tying Punjab’s batters in knots and picking up wickets exactly when Hyderabad needed a breakthrough. South African Marco Jansen chipped in with two scalps, and young express pacer Umran Malik’s raw pace rattled Punjab enough for him to also return figures of 2/32. The bowlers’ efforts ensured Punjab could only scramble to 143/9, never really threatening to set a daunting target.
SRH’s performance brought up some uncomfortable questions for Punjab. Too much is falling on Dhawan’s shoulders, and when he’s the only one standing tall, any slip from him translates to trouble. Their aggressive strokeplay fell flat against SRH’s bowlers, and there was nothing to cushion that middle-order collapse.
Now with their first win, SRH climb off the bottom of the points table and suddenly look like a side with a real shot, given their firepower in both batting and bowling. The 8-wicket win sent a strong message—not just to Punjab, but to all teams eyeing a playoff spot in this feisty edition of the IPL.
- Shikhar Dhawan (Punjab): Unbeaten 99 runs, 12 fours, 5 sixes
- Rahul Tripathi (Hyderabad): Unbeaten 74 runs, 5 fours, 2 sixes
- Mayank Markande (Hyderabad): 4 wickets for 15 runs in 4 overs
- Aiden Markram (Hyderabad): Unbeaten 37 runs, 4 fours, 1 six
With momentum finally swinging their way, Hyderabad fans have reasons to hope that this is just the start of something special for their team in IPL 2023.