IPL 2016: Highest Run-Scorers, Wicket-Takers, More After Sunrisers vs. Lions

Hyderabad Sunrisers skipper David Warner moved back into the second spot in the race to be crowned top run-scorer in the 2016 Indian Premier League on Friday.  

The opener blasted 24 as his side chased down Gujarat Lions’ 126 for six with ease. The anchor of the response was fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan, who made an unbeaten 47, while exceptional bowling early in the day from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashish Nehra set the tone for the contest.

While Friday’s encounter wasn’t the most high-scoring affair, it was a match that saw a few places shift in the individual standings for batsmen and bowlers. Here’s a look how each is shaping up and a recap of some of the finest recent individual displays in the IPL.

Pos	Player	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR
1	David Warner	8	8	2	410	92	68.33	246	166.66
2	AB de Villiers	7	7	0	320	83	45.71	196	163.26
3	Brendon McCullum	10	10	0	227	60	22.70	162	140.12
4	Andre Russell	9	7	0	149	39	21.28	95	156.84
5	Rohit Sharma	9	9	3	383	85*	63.83	279	137.27
6	Kieron Pollard	8	7	3	122	51*	30.50	75	162.66
7	Virat Kohli	7	7	1	433	100*	72.16	316	137.02
8	Ambati Rayudu	9	8	0	271	65	33.87	217	124.88
9	Francois du Plessis	6	6	0	206	69	34.33	162	127.16
10	Steve Smith	8	7	1	270	101	45.00	176	153.40

Pos	Player	Mat	Inns	Overs	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Avg
1	Andre Russell	9	9	29.0	227	13	4/20	17.46
2	Mitchell McClenaghan	9	9	34.3	275	13	4/21	21.15
3	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	8	8	31.0	248	12	4/29	20.66
4	Dwayne Bravo	9	9	34.0	300	12	4/22	25.00
5	Jasprit Bumrah	9	9	34.0	275	11	3/26	25.00
6	Mustafizur Rahman	8	8	30.0	187	10	2/9	18.70
7	Amit Mishra	8	8	26.0	182	10	4/11	18.20
8	Mohit Sharma	8	8	26.5	215	10	3/23	21.50
9	Umesh Yadav	8	8	24.0	216	10	3/28	21.60
10	Dhawal Kulkarni	8	8	26.0	180	9	3/19	20.00

Full standings are available via the IPL website’s stats page.

Hyderabad Continue Fine Form

NOAH SEELAM/Getty Images

It’s five wins from six matches now for the Sunrisers, who have finally found their groove after a poor beginning to the tournament. And while Warner so often grabs the headlines for this team with dynamic batting displays, some savvy bowling helped set this one up.

Taking the first two overs, Kumar and Nehra limited the Lions to the slowest start in the history of this competition, with Dwayne Smith scoring the first run of the innings off the 14th ball. 

With Smith (one), Brendon McCullum (seven) and Dinesh Karthik (zero) all out cheaply, Gujarat never recovered. As noted by former cricketer Mel Jones, given the calibre of players at the crease, this was a spectacular effort from the bowlers:

Kumar, in particular, was superb with the ball. The 26-year-old has a feel for the game that few other bowlers can match in this format, and he demonstrated his ability to manipulate the ball in all its glory here, with Smith unable to get him away in the first six balls. 

The man known as “Bhuvi” takes wickets too, with the crucial scalps of Smith and Karthik in this one giving him 12 for the tournament. They also put him just one behind Purple Cap holder Andre Russell and Mitchell McClenaghan.

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While Aaron Finch’s unbeaten 51 at least made this one competitive, with the likes of Warner and Dhawan at the crease, 126 was always going to be difficult to defend.

The captain didn’t produce his finest innings, although it was enough for him to jump above Gautam Gambhir in the run-scorer standings; he still trails the outstanding Virat Kohli by 23, though, having played one match more.

In the past the loss of Warner has hindered the Sunrisers badly, but on this occasion, as noted by Ayaz Memon, other players put their hand up:

One of those was Dhawan, who has been struggling for form in this tournament so far. This scenario allowed him the chance to recapture some rhythm, though, with little pressure of upping the run rate, given the Lions’ struggles.

NOAH SEELAM/Getty Images

Indeed, the experienced opener anchored the innings superbly, looking to get his more dynamic team-mates on strike and only really attacking when poor balls came his way. Dhawan also prevented the match from going into a nervy last over, as consecutive fours brought an end to this one with six balls left.

As these numbers from cricket journalist Sampath illustrate, the 30-year-old timed his innings brilliantly:

The worry for the Lions, who have now lost three in succession, will be that for all the dangerous players they possess, we’ve only seen glimpses from them all. At the moment, the likes of Smith, McCullum, Raina and Karthik aren’t playing with consistency.

Hyderabad seem to have found the right blend in their batting lineup, and it’s encouraging to see Dhawan showing his best at last. It’s the bowling department where this team is really beginning to click, though, and at the moment they’ve struck a balance as good as any team in the 2016 IPL.