Rajasthan Royals started off with a bang in the 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs in Hyderabad in the afternoon clash of the Sunday double-header.
Rajasthan, who had finished runners-up after losing against debutants Gujarat Titans last year, find themselves at the top of the points table after their commanding victory, which has given them a massive Net Run Rate boost early in the tournament.
In Pics | Rajasthan Royals defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs
The Sanju Samson-led side proved dominant in all three departments, riding on half-centuries from the top three — openers Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal as well as the skipper himself — to post a formidable 203/5 on the board. That was followed by a Trent Boult’s double-wicket maiden first-up and Yuzvendra Chahal’s match-winning haul of 4/17 that broke the backbone of the Sunrisers batting order, restricting them to 131/9.
Had it not been for a late fightback from the tailenders, Sunrisers might not have even crossed the 100-mark.
In our analysis of the fourth match of the season, we take a look at some of the top moments from the game:
Buttler smashes 20-ball half-century
Jos Buttler won the Orange Cap last season after finishing with nearly 900 runs to his name, including four centuries, and showed he had a similar hunger for runs heading into the 16th season of the league, mincing the Sunrisers attack from the word go and racing away to a 20-ball half-century.
The Englishman though, would’ve been disappointed at getting dismissed shortly after bringing up the milestone and not converting it into a three-figure score. Still, the way he was middling the balls today and depositing them into the stands several rows beyond the fence should serve as a warning for the other teams.
Rajasthan top-three make merry
Buttler was the only Rajasthan batter to make the most of the batting-friendly conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. Fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also began collecting boundaries from the outset, and skipper Sanju Samson also brought up half-centuries, collecting 54 and 55 respectively, making for a solid statement from the Royals top-order at the start of the season. Shimron Hetmyer later chipped in with a useful 22 not out that helped his side cross the 200-mark in the death overs.
Boult’s double-wicket maiden
After a solid show with the bat, Trent Boult dented Hyderabad’s hopes of chasing down the 204-run target in the very first over by dismissing opener Abhishek Sharma and No 3 batter Rahul Tripathi in a space of three deliveries.
After starting off with a couple of dots, he bowled an absolute peach to Sharma, an outswinger that was initially bowled between middle and leg which ended up flattening the off pole after late movement. Jason Holder then plucked a sensational catch at slip to send consistent run-scorer Tripathi back to the dugout. Boult would bowl out a double-wicket maiden, and Hyderabad would never really recover after that over.
Another spin masterclass from Chahal
If Boult’s first over pushed Hyderabad on the backfoot, Chahal’s haul of 4/17 effectively buried them as the wily leg-spinner ran through the Sunrisers’ middle order to begin the season on a perfect note. The wily leg-spinner was introduced after the powerplay and it did not take long for him to make an impact, cleaning IPL debutant Harry Brook up to break a 34-run third-wicket stand.
Chahal would continue to mix things up nicely, with his dismissal of Agarwal effectively sealing the contest in favour of the Royals, and would make it an evening to remember by getting rid of Adil Rashid and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Chahal had been won the Purple Cap winner last season, and has announced his intentions to wear the coveted cap again this season.
Samad and Malik’s late fightback
Sunrisers were struggling to get to the 100-mark with wickets falling at regular intervals and it appeared as if they would get shot out for their lowest-ever total the way things were going. ‘Impact Player’ Abdul Samad, who replaced seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi in the lineup, ensured the ‘Orange Army’ had something to smile about after a disappointing day in office by stitching an entertaining 36-run stand for the ninth wicket in just 13 balls, with Samad remaining unbeaten on a run-a-ball 32. The duo were particularly severe on RR Impact Player Navdeep Saini, who conceded 23 in the final over of the innings.
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