Three strikes for Rohit

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Despite the unforgiving nature of T20 cricket,bowlers have managed to win bragging rights in IPL2 as the tournament has progressed. But the real highlights have,surprisingly,belonged to two innocuous part-time spinners,who have pocketed a hat-trick each.

RP Singh may have drawn first blood for Hyderabad by removing both the Mumbai openers early,as they set about chasing 146 at Centurion. But it was Rohit Sharma,who bagged all the accolades in the end,as he became the second bowler to pick up a hat-trick in the tournament,after Yuvraj Singh,easily overshadowing his team-mates double-blow. The Mumbai innings never got going and 126-8 was all that they managed in their 20 overs,as Hyderabad got back to winnings ways after suffering three straight losses.

SINGH ON SONG

RP had been one of the main reasons for Hyderabads early successes,having provided his team with early breakthroughs. And buoyed by his recent inclusion in Indias squad for the World T20,the left-arm fast bowler broke Mumbais back with wickets off two consecutive deliveries in his very first over. He got Sanath Jayasuriya with the fourth ball,caught at third-man,before knocking down Sachin Tendulkars middle-stump with the next. RP also became the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with figures of 2-19 in his four overs.

ROHIT SHOW

Mumbai needed 46 runs from their last five overs not unheard of when Rohit Sharma was thrown the ball. And he struck straight away,bowling Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh with the fifth and sixth deliveries of the over. Rohit then got JP Duminy,who was Mumbais top-scorer with a 48-ball 52,with the first delivery of his second over to complete his hat-trick. He went onto pick up his fourth two balls later,and finished with stunning figures of 2-0-6-4.

Hyderabads blues

Earlier,there were no real stars in the Hyderabad innings,with no batsman crossing the 40-run mark. Gilchrist scored an uncharacteristic 29-ball 25,while Herschelle Gibbs fell for a duck. T Suman hit Harbhajan for two sixes in his 13-ball 20,while Rohit,Dwayne Smith and Venugopal Rao all chipped in with useful runs as Hyderabad reached 145 for 6.

FORGET THEM NOT

amp;149; Dhawal Kulkarni dismissed Gibbs with just his fourth delivery to put Hyderabad on the back foot.

amp;149; Suman picked up two crucial wickets during Mumbais chase and finished with figures of 2-14.

amp;149; Bravo was electric on the field,taking an acrobatic catch,effecting a run-out and picking up a wicket.

amp;149; Rohan Raje knocked back Gilchrists off-stump with one the swung in late to the left-hander.