Talking Points: No weak links in Sunrisers attack

Sunrisers Hyderabad, with their all-bases-covered attack, are the No. 1 bowling side this season - with the best economy in the Powerplay, middle overs and death - despite the temporary absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the more permanent loss of Billy Stanlake.

Twice in three days, they defended totals of 118 and 132 in contrasting ways. While Mumbai Indians were put under unrelenting pressure from ball one, Kings XI had a firm hold on the game for the best part, cruising to 77 for 2 after 12 overs. What followed was some tight bowling and brilliant ground-fielding, and every other bowling change from the captain Kane Williamson yielded a wicket.

There were dropped catches and balls falling in no-man's land every once in a while, but such is the depth and current form of their attack that Sunrisers kept creating wicket-taking opportunities.

Chasing 132, Chris Gayle and KL Rahul contributed 55 off 48 balls, a satisfactory start. However, such has been Kings XI's dependence on the openers that they lost 8 for 42 after Rahul and Gayle fell, and suffered their second defeat in seven games this season. Kings XI had collapsed in their first defeat as well, losing 7 for 61 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. With a week's break before their next game, Kings XI have the time to sort this problem out before the business end of the league phase.

When these two sides had met in Mohali, Gayle gave Rashid such a hiding that the Afghanistan legspinner suffered his worst bowling figures in T20 cricket. Sunrisers lost that game, and the next one too: Rashid's figures in those matches were 2 for 104 in eight overs, an economy rate of 13. Rashid rediscovered his form in the next two matches and Sunrisers won both. In their five wins this season, Rashid has 7 for 97 at an economy rate of 4.86.

Despite having to defend a low total against Kings XI in Hyderabad, Williamson held Rashid back until after the Powerplay, perhaps because Gayle was striking the ball well. Rashid had to bowl just two balls at Gayle, one of which was an LBW appeal, before Basil Thampi's bouncer got rid of the batsman.

After Rashid came on to bowl the eighth over, Sunrisers did not concede a boundary for 42 balls - that's among the longest droughts in the tournament. By the end of that phase, Kings XI's asking rate had risen to nearly 9 an over, and the out-of-sorts Aaron Finch and the rest couldn't bring it down.