Another Australian Test star Pat Cummins was also in blistering form in the later IPL game in Mumbai on Wednesday but his superb hitting in an unbeaten 66 off 34 balls still saw Kolkata Knight Riders fall to an 18-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings.

Warner had captained his side to three straight defeats and was relieved to play a significant role with the bat in Hyderabad's comfortable victory with an over and two balls to spare.

Chasing only 121 to win after fine work by his bowlers, Warner helped his English opening colleague Jonny Bairstow in a 73-run opening stand which broke the back of the pursuit.

Punjab had folded for 120 in 19.4 overs after captain Lokesh Rahul won the toss and elected to bat.

"It was very pleasing," said Warner. "The bowlers did a fantastic job to reduce them."

Bairstow's unbeaten 63 off 56 balls ensured Hyderabad didn't face another run-chasing hiccup as they ended up cruising to 1-121 in 18.4 overs.

Kane Williamson had recovered from a troublesome elbow which kept the New Zealand captain out of previous three games and, along with Bairstow, guided them to victory with his 16 not out off 19 balls.

Warner, who hit three fours and a six in his run-a-ball 37, had yet again given Hyderabad a strong start before holing out in the deep while going for a big shot against left-arm spinner Fabian Allen.

Earlier, Punjab's top-order batsmen continued to struggle - especially West Indies duo Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran.

The pair were dismissed before the halfway mark and left their team in trouble at 4-47 in the ninth over.

Gayle was trapped leg before wicket for 15 by Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan and Pooran was out for his third score of zero in four innings when he was run out without facing a ball.

Fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed, who had earlier removed opening batsman Mayank Agarwal (22), took two late wickets to finish with 3-21, while leftarm spinner Abhishek Sharma took 2-24.

In Mumbai, Cummins, batting at No.8, produced some great hitting before Kolkata were bowled out for 202 with five balls to spare in a high-scoring thriller.

Chennai had posted an imposing 3-220 with Faf du Plessis smashing 95 not out off 60 balls and Ruturaj Gaikwad (64) making his first half-century this season.

Fast bowler Deepak Chahar's second four-wicket haul in three games then left Kolkata reeling at 5-31 inside the batting powerplay before Andre Russell (54) and Cummins led a stunning run-chase.

Paceman Cummins, who returned expensive figures of 0-58, then gave Kolkata a sniff with the bat when he hit four sixes and a four off Sam Curran's 16th over.

However, he ran out partners in an attempt to keep the strike in the last three overs as Chennai recorded their third successive win in the tournament.

Australian Associated Press