All-round Shakib inspires Sunrisers

Shakib Al Hasan played the key role with the bat and ball to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to a nervy 13-run win against Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad yesterday.

The champion Bangladesh all-rounder scored a vital 28 as Hyderabad recovered from a disastrous 27 for three to post a fighting 132 for six. The left-hander, who was out for duck off a no ball, struck three fours in his 29-ball knock. He also featured in an important 52-run fourth-wicket stand with Manish Pandey (54).

The slow left-arm spinner then took the crucial wickets of Agarwal (12) and Aaron Finch (8) as Punjab were bundled out for 119 in 19.2 overs. Shakib finished with two for 18 in his three overs.

Punjab suffered a dramatic collapse after leg-spinner Rashid Khan broke the 55-run opening stand between Lokesh Rahul (32) and Chris Gayle (23) in the eighth over. Rashid, who bowled Rahul, finished with three for 19 in his four overs.

They lost nine wickets for 46 runs before the last wicket pair of Rajpoot, who had earlier rocked Hyderabad with five for 14, and Afghanistan off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman threw caution to the win before Basil Thampi had Rajpoot bowled with a Yorker. With this win Hyderabad moved to second position with 10 points from seven games.