The game went right to the wire but the Lions’ 126-6 proved some way short as Sunrisers coasted home thanks to the cool head of Shikhar Dhawan.
Large parts of the pre-match talk were of Yuvraj Singh who was returning to the Hyderabad side after injury.
He caught the attention of the majority of people in the crowd and on TV.
.@YUVSTRONG12 is back in action tonight. @SunRisers warm-up before the #SRHvGL game #VIVOIPLhttps://t.co/QC8VBJ2AMf
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2016
The Gujarat Lions struggled for large parts of their innings until Finch entered the crease at 25-3, the Australian setting about posting as competitive total as possible.
Ohhh...finch come to bat at no. 5...first time I have seen coming in that position... Big partnership needed here!! #srhvgl #ipl
— Ghemosu!The raj (@Rajcr7fan) May 6, 2016
SIX! Finally Finch connects with one against the Fizz#SRHvsGL #OrangeArmy
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 6, 2016
He also had a slice of luck along the way thanks to one of his Aussie teammates.
Would you believe it? @AaronFinch5 dropped. And it was David Warner of all people who drops it. #SRHvGL
— The Gujarat Lions (@TheGujaratLions) May 6, 2016
Things would have been a whole lot worse for Gujarat had Warner held on.
.@AaronFinch5 with a spirited half century tonight helped us reach a competitive total. #GameMaariChhe #SRHvGL pic.twitter.com/wu6o66nuVL
— The Gujarat Lions (@TheGujaratLions) May 6, 2016
.@TheGujaratLions set a target of 127. @AaronFinch5 (51*off 42) #SRHvGL #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/RzXaeEsgY9
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2016
It was still a very modest total from Gujarat, it looking increasingly so as Warner and Dhawan got their team off to a flyer.
3 overs gone SRH 26/0. Dhawan has just faced 2 balls, its all Warner until now #SRHvsGL #OrangeArmy
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 6, 2016
But as Warner and Kane Williamson departed the onus fell on Dhawan to take control of the match and he did just that despite barely facing a ball for the first ten overs of the match.
Warner and Williamson dismissed within powerplay swings pendulum a bit the other way. Dhawan is the man Gujarat want now. Early
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 6, 2016
Dhawan has faced only 15 balls at the end of 10 overs #SRHvGL
— Arun Venugopal (@scarletrun) May 6, 2016
21 needed now off 18 balls! Dhawan and Hooda should take us past the finishing line without any hassle #SRHvsGL #OrangeArmy
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 6, 2016
Shikhar Dhawan (47*) finishes it with back-to-back boundaries! #SRH win by 5 wickets. #SRHvGL #IPL2016
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 6, 2016
