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Kings surge past Sunrisers

Hyderabad - Wriddhiman Saha has scored a blistering half-century as another commanding batting display by Kings XI Punjab saw them twice make IPL history with a spectacular six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.

The supersport.com website reports tha Saha blitzed 54 from 26 balls, while Glenn Maxwell (43 off 22) and Manan Vohra (47 off 20) also made important contributions as the visitors to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad chased down the mammoth 206-victory target with eight balls to spare.

They also recorded the quickest ever IPL team centuries and 150 along the way as they surged to the top of the table.

That after the hosts had amassed 205 for five thanks to a fine display of power hitting from Naman Ojha, who plundered 79 off just 36 deliveries, proved to be the foundation for his side after they lost the toss and were asked to bat first.

The Kings may have been having second thoughts about that decision early on after they were slaughtered by Shikhar Dhawan (45 off 37) early on.

The India star, along with Aaron Finch (20), took 23 from the first four overs, before the former tucked into a the eight-ball fifth over sent down by Sandeep Sharma, slaying him for 26 - made up of four boundaries and a six.

With the 50 raised n the sixth over, Punjab finally had a breakthrough when a slow and low Shivam Sharma delivery pegged back the middle stump of Finch.

It was 72 for one at the halfway stage, and even though dangerman Dhawan fell to namesake Rishi when he was snapped up by Shivam Sharma at short fine leg, it was the turn of Ojha and David Warner (44 off 23) to carry on the pattern.

The 100 came up in the 13th over with the two batsmen really taking the game to their hosts by scoring at almost 10 runs per over.

Warner was eventually dismissed run-out - the Australian disgusted after some lazy run by partner Ojha - with the total on 168 in a 19th over that went for 26.

Medium pacer Sandeep, who went for 65 in his four overs, was again the culprit as Ojha crossed 50 in only 29 balls, while Moises Henriques (nought) also departed in the same over.

The 200 was raised with Ojha's seventh six from the penultimate delivery of the innings as the Sunrisers ended with a flourish.

The reply was ominous from the visitors, that despite the early loss of big-hitting Virender Sehwag, who was caught and bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the second ball of the innings.

But Saha was in portentous form and plundered six boundaries in his first 15 balls as the 50 was raised in just the fourth over, followed by the 50 stand in 21 balls.

The partnership had reached 91 in only 6.5 overs when wicketkeeper Saha was stumped by Ojha off Karn Sharma, four balls after getting to his half century.

But the 100 followed in the eighth over as Maxwell's first five balls went 0-6-6-0-6.

The fortunate wicket of Vohra then followed as a defensive Maxwell shot was tipped onto the stumps by Kumar at the non-strikers end.

David Miller was the new man in, but was merely a spectator as Maxwell kept going.

He was given a massive lifeline, though, after a front-foot no ball by Amit Mishra when the Australian was on 23.

He went on to add a further 20, including the 150 crossed in the 12th over, before another miscue off Mishra was snapped up by Steyn at long-off.

There were some nerves from Miller (24 off 24) and George Bailey (35 off 19) in the overs that followed, but the Australian took Steyn apart in the 18th over that went for 22 as Punjab sealed a remarkable win.

Teams:

Sunrisers Hyderabad: AJ Finch, S Dhawan (captain), DA Warner, NV Ojha (wicketkeeper), KL Rahul, MC Henriques, IK Pathan, KV Sharma, DW Steyn, A Mishra, B Kumar

Kings XI Punjab: V Sehwag, WP Saha (wicketkeeper), GJ Maxwell, GJ Bailey (captain), DA Miller, M Vohra, AR Patel, MG Johnson, Shivam Sharma, R Dhawan, Sandeep Sharma
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