IPL 9, Match 18: SRH v KXIP - 5 Talking Points

The Sunrisers Hyderabad are on a roll. Yet another impressive win against the Kings XI Punjab has seen their rise in the IPL 9 table soar. David Warner produced yet another magnificent knock as the Sunrisers ensured that they walked away with an impressive 5-wicket win. As for the Kings XI Punjab, the chances of even remotely securing a playoff spot look even more impossible than it looked previously.

1. Shaun Marsh stabilizes once again:

Shaun marsh has quite literally been like a new signing for the Kings XI Punjab despite being associated with the franchise since the inaugural season of the IPL. As he did in the previous match, Marsh once again played the role of anchoring the innings with a virtuoso 40 off just 34 deliveries. He was well supported by Manan Vohra with the latter chipping in with a useful 23-ball 25. Marsh rotated the strike efficiently while taking calculated risks as he did, however, one shot too many saw the Aussie southpaw lose his wicket in the 13^th over.

2. The magic of Mustafizur Rahman:

Mustafizur Rahman has been terrific in IPL 9. Period. The 20-year old Bangladeshi pacer has produced some fantastic performances in the current edition of the IPL, but this one against the Kings XI Punjab takes the cake. Bowling on a wicket that has something for the bowlers, Mustafizur’s variations came to the fore. He concluded with figures of 4-1-2-9. Yes, you read it right, 1 maiden, 9 runs conceded and 2 wickets. Now that is something simply magnificent.

3. Axar Patel’s last minute flurry:

Axar Patel came in at a time where the Kings XI were reeling at 5-89. For players such as Axar Patel, the IPL is a platform to make their way back into the Indian side. The southpaw, who is generally known for his bowling skills, came good with the bat this time around. With the need for big-hitting evident, the youngster smashed an immensely important and whirlwind 36 including two massive sixes that reached the second tier of the pavilion on both occasions.

4. The David Warner show rerun:

David Warner has blossomed into a run machine of sorts for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Having scored almost 30% of the Sunrisers cumulative runs, the SRH skipper came up with the goods yet again. The bowlers seemingly have no answer to the Aussies big-hitting. It is almost like watching reruns of a TV show. Same old David Warner, same old problems for the bowlers. Warner slammed yet another 59 off just 31 deliveries including 7 boundaries. Needless to say, Warner was awarded the orange cap for his efforts with the bat.

5. Wickets fall in a heap as Sunrisers crawl to victory:

The fall of David Warner triggered an unprecedented collapse the Sunrisers least expected. Wickets began to fall in a hurry as Aditya Tare was dismissed in the first delivery he faced. Shikhar Dhawan’s torrid time with the bat was concluded by Rishi Dhawan. Eoin Morgan fell soon after to cricket’s riskiest shot: the short arm jab as he too made his way back to the dugout. Deepak Hooda was run out by skipper David Miller as the Sunrisers scampered to victory having lost their last five wickets for just 56 runs.

How did Twitter react to the game? – Twitter Reactions: Warner, Mustafizur exploits help SRH seal an easy win