Hyderabad: After restricting Sunrisers Hyderabad for 118 runs in their allotted 20 overs –courtesy their bowlers, as Ashok Dinda, called in to play his first game this season, bowled a dream spell (3/23), and R Ashwin, who also bowled superbly, Rising Punegiants were cruising towards victory when rain interrupted the match and Supergiants won by 34 runs (D/L method) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Speaking about this much-needed victory, RPS skipper MS Dhoni said, “We weren't in the midfield, so this win was important. There are quite a few teams with four points, so we had to get there. We didn't factor in the rain, we thought it wouldn't. We wanted to bowl first because the wicket stays good right through the 40 overs. The bowlers exploited the conditions well. All the fast bowlers hit the right length, and Ashwin was also able to bowl the way he normally does. If you don't get wickets upfront, batsmen have licence to hit any over. So in that sense, it was a good game overall. Fielding isn't something we're great at, but we need some luck. There are a few average to slow fielders in the side, which means we may have to score extra 10-15 runs. Today, the ball went to the good fielders.”

Sunrisers captain David Warner said, “This wasn't what we expected. We made it look like they bowled well. The boys tried hard. When you lose wickets in clumps, it's tough to build momentum. We have two more games at home here coming up to try and bounce back. Yuvraj and Kane Williamson are close to returning. We'll see what the selectors say. We're glad to have the support of the crowd that turns up in huge numbers here.”