Ahemdabad (Gujarat): Riding on veteran India seamer Mohit Sharma's bowling exploits, Gujarat Titans restricted the free-scoring SunRisers Hyderabad to 162/8 in their innings in the first of the IPL's weekend double-headers at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
Electing to bat first after winning the toss, openers Travis Head and Mayank Aggarwal got the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers off to a brisk start. They raised an opening stand of 34 runs off 4.2 overs before Mayank holed out to the deep for a personal score of 16.
At the fall of his wicket, the star from the last match, Abhishek Sharma, came out all guns blazing as he did against the Mumbai Indians. The Sunrisers brought up their 50 off just 5.2 overs as Abhishek slammed a six off the bowling of leg spinner Rashid Khan.
The second wicket fell on the fourth ball of the seventh over when the team score was 58. Head was dismissed after scoring 19 runs with the help of three fours.
He was sent packing by left-arm spinner Noor Ahmed.
After Head's wicket, Aiden Markra came out to the field. Markram along with Abhishek were able to add only 16 runs as the latter was dismissed after scoring 29 runs which was laced with two fours and two sixes in the innings.
After the Abhishek's wicket, the wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen came out to bat. The Hyderabad-based franchise crossed the 100-run mark on the fourth ball of the 13 over as Klaasen smashed a maximum on the bowling of Noor.
After completing 100 runs, the franchise first lost the wicket of Klaasen in the in the 14th over when the team score was 108 after scoring 24 runs in just 13 balls which was laced by two sixes and a four and then at 114 when Markram went back to the dressing room after scoring 17 runs in the 15th over.
After the two quick wickets Abdul Samad and Shabaz Ahmed were on the crease.
The SRH team completed 150 runs as Samad pushed the ball for a double on the second ball of the penultimate over of the inning bowled by Darshan Nalkande.
The hosts lost three wickets in the last over. Two were grabbed by Mohit and one came through a run out.
SRH finished the first innings at 162/8.
The pick of the bowlers for the last year's finalist was Mohit who snapped three wickets in his spell of four overs where he conceded 25 runs. One wicket was bagged by Azmatullah Omarzai, Umesh Yadav, Rashid, and Noor in their spells where they conceded 24, 28, 33, and 32 runs respectively.
Brief Score: SunRisers Hyderabad 162/8 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 29, Abdul Samad 29, Mohit Sharma 3/25) vs Gujarat Titans.
—ANI