Liam Livingstone shines as Punjab Kings end campaign on high

There were five sixes in Livingstone's knock, ensuring he finishes his breakthrough IPL with 437 runs at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 182

Mumbai: Sunrisers Hyderabad 157-8, Punjab Kings 160-5 - Punjab Kings win by five wickets

Scorecard

Punjab Kings ended their Indian Premier League campaign with a victory, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in comprehensive fashion.

Liam Livingstone smashed an unbeaten 49 off just 22 balls to seal a win with 29 deliveries to spare, though both teams have finished the campaign outside the top four.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar skippered Sunrisers, who were missing Kane Williamson, and their innings – after winning the toss and opting to bat – never quite got going.

It took a sixth-wicket stand between Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd to drag them to a competitive total after Nathan Ellis and Harpreet Brar had done the bulk of the damage through the middle overs.

Abhishek Sharma top-scored for Hyderabad, but his 43 used up 32 deliveries, with Sunrisers' top order – not for the first time this season – made a fairly pedestrian start.

^{Kane Williamson left the IPL early to go home for the birth of his child (Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images)}

Australian seamer Ellis accounted for Nicholas Pooran, and he returned to end Sundar's counterattack in the final over.

By contrast, Punjab were ultra-aggressive, as has been a hallmark of their tournament. Jonny Bairstow led them through the powerplay to ensure their run rate was upwards of 10 per over after six overs, breaking the back of the chase in the process. Shikhar Dhawan provided an anchor, while Shahrukh Khan and Jitesh Sharma offered rapid cameos.

There were five sixes in Livingstone's knock, ensuring he finishes his breakthrough IPL with 437 runs at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 182.