IPL 2023: Emotional Rollercoaster as Rinku Singh and Harry Brook Battle Hard; SRH Register Second Win Defeating KKR
Harry Brook shone with maiden IPL century as SunRisers Hyderabad defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 23 runs at Eden Gardens on Friday. Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 58 off 31 ball went in vain alongside skipper Nitish Rana’s 41-ball 75 as the orange cap franchise restricted KKR at 205 for 7 in chase of 229.
Brook scored 100 not out off 55 balls as SRH posted 228 for 4 in 20 overs. Aiden Markram also helped the team’s cause with a 50-run knock off 26 balls.
KKR, in response, lost wickets under pressure from the outset, though it was their middle order that would once again rise to the occasion and deliver under pressure, with skipper Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh taking the game deep. SRH though, managed to keep things tidy in the death overs and ensured KKR fell well short of the target in the end.
SRH registered their second win of the season. Aiden Markram and co. now have two wins in two games! KKR lose a game after two straight wins.
Brook Praised
Harry Brook had set the stage on fire in international cricket as well as in league such as The Hundred, SA20 and Pakistan Super League, and a lot was expected from the Englishman who carried a price tag of Rs 13.25 crore heading into his maiden season in the Indian Premier League. While Brook was subjected to some online trolling and was accused of being an overrated cricketer after scoring just 29 runs in Sunrisers’ first three games of the season, he shut the trolls up in style on Friday.
He was merciless on both full and short deliveries, and clearly enjoyed pace on the ball. However, the pace of scoring dropped considerably as Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and then Suyash came into the attack, with the overseas duo of Brook and skipper Aiden Markram became a little more circumspect after the loss of two wickets. The leg-spinner, in fact, spilled a regulation caught-and-bowled chance in his first over. But with their eye in and the venue being a high-scoring one, it wasn’t long before they put the foot on the accelerator again