IPL 2018: Big collapse in low-scorer leads to Punjab defeat against Hyderabad

Rashid Khan was SRH's star performer in bowling. (BCCI)

Punjab went from 55 for 0 to 119 all out in 19.2 overs to taste a 13-run defeat at the hands of Hyderabad in IPL 2018 on Thursday.

Chasing a paltry 133 to win on a terribly slow wicket at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, when Punjab openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle took the team past the 50-run mark it appeared it was their match to lose.

Afghanistan star Rashid Khan then removed Rahul for 32 and shortly after Basil Thampi got the better of Gayle (23). The complexion of the match changed dramatically following these two wickets. Punjab lost their last eight wickets for just 62 runs to concede the contest in a humiliating way.

Rashid was the pick of the Hyderabad bowlers with 3/19. Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, and Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with two wickets each to script a famous win for the hosts. 

With their fifth win in seven matches, SRH moved up to second in the standings. Punjab, on the other hand, went down to third from second with their second defeat in seven matches.

Earlier in the day after Punjab opted to bowl, fast bowler Ankit Rajpoot achieved the best bowling figures (5/14) of this edition. Mumbai spinner Mayank Markande had the previous best figures (4/23). 

The 24-year-old KXIP bowler, who had taken a match-winning 2/23 against Delhi in Punjab's previous match, picked up where he had left off at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium. He snared at least one wicket in every over he bowled. 

Rajpoot got the prized wicket of Kane Williamson (0) off the fourth ball of the match as the Hyderabad captain's miscued pull - largely due to the unexpected bounce Rajpoot got - found R Ashwin at mid-off.  

In his next over Rajpoot struck again, this time getting the better of Shikhar Dhawan (11) with an away-going delivery as the left-handed batsman found Karun Nair in the slips. 

Wriddhiman Saha was Rajpoot's next victim. In an attempt to hit a good-length ball out of the park on the legside, the wicketkeeper batsman gave a simple skier to Andrew Tye at midwicket. Rajpoot could have taken his fourth wicket in the same over if not for a dropped catch from Tye. The ball was indeed travelling off the bat of Manish Pandey -- on 9 at that time -- but Tye should have taken it at midwicket in light of the modern-day fielding standards. Saha made 6.  

Rajpoot then took two wickets in his last over in what was also the last over of the innings. Pandey (54) and Mohammed Nabi (4) fell to his brilliance as Hyderabad could only go as far as 132/6 in 20 overs.

Rajpoot's figures were second-best by an Indian pacer in the history of the IPL, behind Ishant Sharma's 5/12 in 2011. Rajpoot also became the first uncapped Indian to take five wickets in an IPL game. Alas, all his efforts went in vain thanks to a spineless batting performance from Punjab.