Riding on Harry Brook’s maiden IPL ton, SRH make it two in two, beats KKR by 23 runs at Eden Gardens

Despite handy contributions from captain Nitish Rana (75) and Rinku Singh (58) in the second innings, KKR fell shy of the target by 23 runs as SRH won its second game on the trot in IPL 2023. Earlier, SRH’s million-dollar baby Harry Brook became the first batter to complete a hundred this season, hitting 100* off 55 balls.

After being asked to bat first, SunRisers Hyderabad got off to a flyer, thanks to the makeshift opener, Harry Brook, who took the attack to the opposition from the word go. The right-handed batter slammed a few fours early on before Andre Russell dent the momentum with two wickets in his first over. 

Captain Aiden Markram joined forces with Brook as the pair went berserk during the middle overs. Markram carried his excellent run of form to the IPL as he smashed his first fifty of the season in just 25 balls, hitting two fours and five sixes. Soon after he got out, the onus again fell on young Brook’s shoulders. 

The 24-year-old Englishman took his time, as he played some of the finest-looking shots and completed his maiden IPL hundred in the final over off Umesh Yadav. Courtesy of an all-round batting show, SRH posted a mammoth 228 for four in 20 overs.

In reply, the hosts got off to the worst possible start, losing three wickets inside the Powerplay. The tide for them changed in the sixth over, when KKR skipper Nitish Rana smoked seamer Umran Malik for 28 runs in his first over. The dangerous Andre Russell departed on just three soon after, leaving KKR in hot waters.

However, the last match hero for KKR, Rinku Singh, started from where he had left and alongside Rana, began smashing boundaries at will. The pair looked like giving Kolkata a chance in this game too, but tight bowling from T Natarajan brought SRH back into the game.

Unlike how Rinku turned the fortunes the other night against Gujarat, he failed to replicate the heroics at Eden Gardens. Although he scored a 31-ball 58 on Friday night, his team fell short of the target by 23 runs.