IPL 2021, SRH v KKR: 5 interesting stats from match 3
The Kolkata Knight Riders opened their IPL 2021 campaign in style with a 10-run victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Opening batsman Nitish Rana starred for KKR in their first match as his 56-ball 80 laid the platform for Kolkata's win.
Rana had a 93-run partnership for the second wicket with Rahul Tripathi, and then Dinesh Karthik finished off the innings well by scoring 22 runs off just nine deliveries.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad lost their opening batsmen early. However, Manish Pandey and Jonny Bairstow kept them alive. Pandey remained unbeaten till the end, but his 44-ball 61* could not help the Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match.
There were many amazing statistics to emerge from this IPL 2021 match. Here's a look at the top five stats from the battle between Hyderabad and Kolkata.
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad's poor form at Chepauk continues in IPL 2021
The Sunrisers Hyderabad have never been able to defeat the Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium in IPL. They faced the Super Kings in Chennai during the 2013, 2015 and 2019 seasons, recording defeats in all three games.
On Sunday, they battled the Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk in their first match of IPL 2021. However, they could not snap their losing streak on this ground. Hyderabad will be keen to record their first win in Chennai on Wednesday against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders become the third team to complete 100 IPL victories
The Kolkata Knight Riders are one of only three IPL franchises to have won the championship twice. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the other two franchises in this elite group.
KKR have joined MI and CSK in another list of top IPL teams by recording their 100th victory in the competition on Sunday. The 10-run victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad was Kolkata's 100th IPL win.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders win their first match in Chennai since 2013
Like Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Kolkata Knight Riders had not won an IPL match in Chennai since the beginning of the 2013 season. KKR played four matches against the Chennai Super Kings during that period, losing all of them.
Before this game, KKR's last win at MA Chidambaram Stadium had come back in the 2012 final, when they defeated the Chennai-based franchise to win the trophy. Hence, this victory helped KKR break their 4-match losing streak at Chepauk.
2. David Warner's recent struggles with the willow
David Warner has been the most consistent batsman for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The facts that he holds the record for the most IPL half-centuries and has won three Orange Cap titles cement the aforementioned claim.
However, he has not been at his best for SRH of late. In IPL 2020 Qualifier 2 against the Delhi Capitals, Warner departed after scoring only two runs. He could make a mere three runs versus KKR on Sunday.
Warner has thus recorded back-to-back single-digit scores for Hyderabad for the first time in his seven-year stay at the franchise.
1. Manish Pandey's half-century for SRH goes in vain again
Manish Pandey, the first Indian centurion in IPL history, joined Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the 2018 IPL season. He has amassed 1,114 runs for the Orange Army in 44 matches.
So far, Manish has hit 10 fifties in 40 innings for SRH. However, eight of those half-centuries could not guide the Hyderabad-based franchise to victory.
The recent half-ton against KKR was the eighth instance in the last four IPL seasons in which Manish scored a fifty but could not help SRH to a win. Only twice has Pandey's half-century been in a winning cause.