Hyderabad, Apr 6 (UNI) Mohammed Siraj produced a sensational spell of fast bowling, claiming 4 wickets for just 17 runs, to enable Gujarat Titans restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to 152 for 8, despite a late flourish from skipper Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday.
Siraj struck in his very first over, removing the dangerous Travis Head (8) and setting the tone for Gujarat’s disciplined bowling performance at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium . The right-arm pacer returned to scythe through the lower order, dismissing Aniket Verma and Simarjeet Singh (0) in the 19th over to finish with career-best figures.
SRH’s innings was a tale of missed opportunities and fleeting momentum. After early boundaries from Head and Abhishek Sharma, SRH lost wickets at regular intervals — 38/2 by the fifth over and 50/3 by the eighth. Abhishek (18) and Ishan Kishan (17) both looked promising but failed to capitalise, with Siraj and Prasidh Krishna applying relentless pressure.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (31 off 34) and Heinrich Klaasen (27 off 19) revived the innings briefly, targeting Rashid Khan in particular with a string of boundaries. Klaasen thumped a six and a four in the 13th over, while Nitish found the gaps with clever strokeplay. However, both batsmen fell soon after, as SRH slipped from 100/3 to 120/6.
Aniket played a useful cameo (18 off 14) with two boundaries, but it was Pat Cummins who led the rearguard action. The SRH captain smashed a six and three boundaries during a 9-ball 22, combining with Shami in a late surge that yielded 29 runs in the final two overs.
Ishant Sharma bore the brunt of the death overs assault, conceding 17 runs in the last over, including a driven four by Cummins and a stylish loft over extra cover by Shami that drew cheers from the Uppal spectators.
Siraj’s effort, however, remained the high point of the innings. His ability to strike both upfront and at the death halted SRH’s charge every time they looked to build momentum. Prasidh Krishna (2/25) and Sai Kishore (2/24) lent fine support, while Rashid Khan went wicketless for 31 runs in his four overs. UNI BDN SSP