The 19th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 featured a fiery clash between the 2016 season champions Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Nitish Rana-led Kolkata Knight Riders at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday, April 14.
Coming in to bat first after losing the toss, Sunrisers Hyderabad looked for a good start to their innings. However, disaster struck early, as veteran Windies all-rounder Andre Russell dismissed both Mayank Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi in the fifth over of the game. Both batters were sent back to the pavilion after scoring just nine runs each.
As the responsibility to carry the innings forward fell on the shoulders of Harry Brook and skipper Aiden Markram, both batters delivered in style. Markram built upon his good form and scored a brilliant half-century, scoring 50 in just 26 deliveries. The 28-year-old’s knock was integral to Hyderabad posting a massive total on the board.
Apart from Markram, it was England batter Harry Brook who lit the stage on fire, scoring the first century of the IPL 2023. The 24-year-old scored an unbeaten 100 runs off just 55 deliveries. Abhishek Sharma’s short cameo was essential for the side as well, as the Indian batter scored another 32 runs in 17 balls. As a result, Hyderabad posted 228 runs after 20 overs.
It was a day to forget for the Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling lineup. Andre Russell took three wickets and conceded just 22 runs in the two overs he bowled. The 34-year-old could have had an even better spell, but he was seen walking off the pitch due to cramps.
Apart from Russell, Varun Chakravarthy was the only other bowler who managed to take a wicket, as the Indian spinner conceded 41 runs in four overs while striking once. With Hyderabad posting the highest total of the IPL 2023 so far, it could prove to be quite a challenge for Kolkata to chase down the target and register their third win of the season.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the first innings’ of KKR vs SRH: