Kane Williamson is the leading run scorer (687) in IPL 2018. (Source: AP)
Sunrisers Hyderabad topped the Indian Premier League, 2018 points table and became the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. However, towards the end of the league stage, SRH ran out of form and succumbed to four consecutive defeats (including one qualifier). After losing to CSK in qualifier 1 they were almost written off from making to the finals. But an inspiring performance by Rashid Khan scripted a remarkable turnaround for the orange army as they now await CSK in the finals this season.
Match 1, SRH vs RR: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 9 wickets
SRH began their journey in IPL 11 in fantastic style with a convincing 9-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at home. Kane Williamson struck a fluent 78 as SRH chased down a total of 126 with nine wickets in hand.
Match 2, SRH vs MI: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 1 wickets
SRH beat defending champions Mumbai Indians in their second home game by one wicket. Set with a target of 148, all hopes were lost for the orange army until Billy Stanlake hit the winning runs in the last ball of the innings.
Match 3, KKR vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 5 wickets
Sunrisers made it a hat-trick of wins after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets. What was most impressive about this win was that it came away from away from home and put SRH on top of the table for the first time. Chasing 139, SRH romped home with one over to spare.
Match 4, KXIP vs SRH: Kings XI Punjab won by 15 runs
Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 104 handed Sunrisers its first defeat of the tournament. Gayle’s innings propelled KXIP to 193/3 which proved a bit too much for SRH to chase as they could only muster 178/4 in reply.
Match 5, SRH vs CSK: Chennai Super Kings won by 4 runs
SRH suffered back to back defeats after Chennai Super Kings beat them by 4 runs at home. Batting first CSK scored 182/4 and in reply, SRH were restricted to 178/6.
Match 6, MI vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 31 runs
SRH’s bowlers rose to the occasion in this match by defending 118 against Mumbai at the Wankhede. Siddarth Kaul, Rashid Khan were the stars on the day as MI were bundled out for just 87 runs. Together the duo bowled 8 overs and picked up 5 wickets, conceding just 34 runs.
Match 7, SRH vs KXIP: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 13 runs
After suffering a defeat against KXIP in the first leg, SRH bounced back in style by beating KXIP by 13 runs at home. In yet another low-scoring match, SRH put up 132 on the board and defended it emphatically by restricting KXIP to 119.
Match 8, RR vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 11 runs
This match proved why SRH’s bowling was the best in the IPL. After opting to bat first, SRH scored 151 and then restricted their opposition to 140/6 to win the match by 11 runs. Kane Williamson once again struck a fine 63.
Match 9, SRH vs DD: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 7 wickets
Despite scoring a competitive 163/5, DD failed to defend their total as Hyderabad chased down the total in 19.5 overs. The top order and captain Kane Williamson once again came to the rescue of their side.
Match 10, SRH vs RCB: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 5 runs
Kane Williamson’s 56 coupled with all-round performance by his men helped Sunrisers Hyderabad beat RCB by 5 runs.
Match 11, DD vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 9 wickets
A blazing 63-ball 128 by Rishab Pant helped Delhi post 187/5. However, it wasn’t enough as Shikhar Dhawan (92 ) and Kane Williamson (83) struck a match-winning 100 run partnership to guide their side to victory.
Match 12, CSK vs SRH: Chennai Super Kings won by 8 wickets
This loss was the first of SRH’s four losses as they CSK beat them by 8 wickets. Ambati Rayudu slammed his maiden IPL 100 as Chennai won the match with an over remaining.
Match 13, RCB vs SRH: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 14 runs
RCB were on a high during the latter half of the tournament and posted a mammoth 218/6. However, SRH did give them a run for their money with Kane Williamson (84) leading the charge but ultimately fell short by 14 runs.
Match 14, SRH vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 5 wickets
This was SRH’s third loss in the campaign. While Shreevats Goswami and Shikhar Dhawan gave an explosive start to the innings, wickets fell at regular intervals and Sunrisers had to ultimately settle for 172/9. In reply, KKR cantered home with two balls to spare.
Qualifier 1, SRH vs CSK: Chennai Super Kings won by 2 wickets
On a sluggish pitch at Wankhede, SRH opted to bat first and posted a competitive total of 139/7. However, Faf du Plessis’s unbeaten 67 proved to be the game-changer as CSK chased down the total in the last over.
Qualifier 1, KKR vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 13 runs
Afghanistan’s teenage sensation Rashid Khan single-handedly won this match for his side to break the four-match losing streak and propel his team into the finals. With the bat, he tonked 34 runs in 10 balls and then came back to pick 3 wickets and lead his team to the finals on Sunday.