Gujarat pacers raze Hyderabad for 86 runs to go top of IPL

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AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Gujarat Titans dismissed the batting powerhouse of Sunrisers Hyderabad for its lowest score of 86 runs and went to the top of the Indian Premier League with a fifth straight win on Tuesday.

Pacers Kagiso Rabada (3-28) and Jason Holder (3-20) did a lot of damage while Prasidh Krishna took 2-23 in his return game to bowl out Hyderabad in 14.5 overs in Gujarat's 82-run victory.

Half centuries from Sai Sudharsan (61) and Washington Sundar (50) earlier carried Gujarat to 168-5 on a difficult pitch where fast bowlers picked up 14 of the 15 wickets.

Gujarat with eight wins displaced Royal Challengers Bengaluru from the No. 1 spot. Hyderabad is third with 14 points behind Bengaluru on net run-rate.

“We knew if we bowled well, we would always be in the game,” Gujarat captain Shubman Gill said. “The way Sai and Washi batted, getting us close to 170, and then the way we bowled in the powerplay, kudos to both of our bowlers. It is all about being consistent and being ruthless.”

The four-pronged Gujarat pace attack rolled over Hyderabad. Mohammed Siraj and Rabada rocked Hyderabad early in the chase when Travis Head was dismissed in Siraj’s first over for a four-ball duck and Rabada picked up three wickets in his unchanged spell of four overs with the new ball.

Abhishek Sharma welcomed Rabada with a six over extra cover before he dragged the ball back onto his stumps, and Ishan Kishan gave wicketkeeper Jos Buttler one of his four catches when Rabada found the outside edge in the fourth over.

Ravichandran Smaran, playing in only his third game of the season, offered a regulation catch to Gill at mid-on as Hyderabad lost four wickets for 32 runs inside the batting powerplay.

Heinrich Klaasen (14) became the second batter after Sudharsan to cross the 500-run mark this season. Klaasen was one of Holder's three victims that effectively ended Hyderabad's hopes.

Rashid Khan, who was introduced into the attack in the 15th over, capped a perfect home game for Gujarat when he had Praful Hinge stumped by a busy Buttler to seal the victory.

Gujarat also had a nervy power play against the pace of Hinge (2-17) when Gill couldn’t control a swipe against the bowler and Buttler got an edge while attempting a leg side scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head.

But Sudharsan waited for loose deliveries to hit five fours and two sixes overall in his sixth half century of the season. Sundar smashed seven fours and a six in his 33-ball knock.

“Thought they (Gujarat pacers) bowled really well,” said Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins, who top-scored for his side with 19 off nine balls and also took 1-20 in his four overs. “Our batting has been fantastic, so not reading too much into that. Guys have gone really well (and) this happens in T20 cricket.”

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