Sunrisers Hyderabad's top batsmen fired in style in their Indian Premier League match last night as they subjected Kings XI Punjab to a 26-run defeat in Mohali.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan scored 77 to lift Hyderabad to 207 for three, and the weight of the stiff chase proved too much as Punjab were restricted to 181 for nine in 20 overs.

After being asked to bat on a belter, skipper David Warner and Dhawan hammered 107 in just 10 overs before Warner was bowled by Glenn Maxwell for a 27-ball 51. Dhawan carried on in his 48-ball innings before being caught off Mohit Sharma in the 15th over. Kane Williamson then caressed the ball all over the park to be unbeaten on a silken 27-ball 54.

In Punjab's chase, Shaun Marsh scored a fine 50-ball 84 but received little support from the rest in the face of tight bowling. No one was more stingy than Afgahnistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan who bowled four overs for only 16 runs for the vital wicket of Eoin Morgan.

In the day's first match in Kolkata, skipper Gautam Gambhir hit an unbeaten 71 to help Kolkata Knight Riders overhaul Delhi Daredevil's total of 160 and stay at the top of the eight-team table with their seventh win in nine matches.

SCORES IN BRIEF

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: 207 for 3 (Dhawan 77, Williamson 54 not out, Warner 51; Maxwell 2-29) v KINGS XI PUNJAB: 181 for 9 (Marsh 84, Morgan 26; Kaul 3-36, Kumar 2-27)

Result: Hyderabad won by 26 runs

Player-of-the-match: Rashid Khan

DELHI DAREDEVILS: 160 for 6 (Samson 60, Iyer 47; Coulter-Nile 3-34) v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS: 161 for 3 in 16.3 overs (Gambhir 71 not out, Uthappa 59; Rabada 2-20)

Result: Kolkata won by 7 wickets.

Player-of-the-match: Gautam Gambhir.