Rajasthan first team to defend total in this IPL after SRH horror show chasing 211
Rajasthan Royals couldn't have asked for a better start to their campaign in IPL 2022. After a batting carnage led by skipper Sanju Samson (55; 27b, 4x3, 6x3) took them to the confines of 210 for six at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday, they dished out an impeccable bowling effort to carve out a 61-run victory.
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Just as the wayward Sunrisers Hyderabad attack allowed the Royals to run away with the match, their batsmen floundered in the wake of excellent bowling first up by Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna, whose fourth over wicket maiden, clearly killed the contest as the Sunrisers were restricted to 149/7, thanks in the main to the 55-run seventh wicket stand between Aiden Markram (57; 41b, 4x5, 6x2) and Washington Sundar (40, 14b, 4x5, 6x2).
1/10:Rajasthan beat Hyderabad
<p>Sanju Samson led from the front with a blistering 55 as Rajasthan Royals opened their season campaign in the IPL with an emphatic 61-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
2/10:Leading from the front
<p>Captain Samson, playing his 100th match for Royals, guided his team to 210/6 in Pune. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
3/10:Smashing Samson
<p>Samson smashed three fours and five sixes in his 27-ball blitz and put on a key stand of 73 with Devdutt Padikkal, who made 41. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
4/10:Hitman Hetmyer
<p>Shimron Hetmyer hit 32 off 13 balls and recorded two sixes to take the Royals' total past 200 after being out into bat first. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
5/10:Lucky Buttler
<p>Jos Buttler survived a few reprieves including being caught behind on a no-ball in the opening over, for 35. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
6/10:Umran Malik's fiery pace
<p>Hyderabad's Umran Malik clocked speeds of over 148 kmph (92 mph) and claimed two wickets including Buttler. (ANI Photo/IPL Twitter)</p>
7/10:Hyderabad restricted
<p>Hyderabad were restricted to 149/7 despite an unbeaten 57 by Aiden Markram. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
8/10:Krishna rattles SRH top order
<p>Royals' bowlers led by Prasidh Krishna, rattled the top-order including dismissing skipper Kane Williamson for 2. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
9/10:Williamson's dismissal doubtful
<p>Williamson was caught at first slip when the ball seemed to touch the grass before it went into the hands off a diving Devdutt Padikkal who took a rebound off Samson's gloves. (ANI Photo/IPL Twitter)</p>
10/10:250 T20 scalps for Chahal
<p>Yuzvendra Chahal claimed three wickets to reach 250 scalps in T20 matches and Trent Boult took two wickets. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>Prasidh's Karnataka teammate Devdutt Padikkal (41; 29b, 4x4, 6x2), who was equally effective with the willow earlier, was ready for the opportunity at slip after Samson spilled a Kane Williamson catch and Rahul Tripathi was undone soon as Sunrisers got off to a poor start made worse by Nicholas Pooran failing to bother the scorers.
The Royals were relentless on the day with their spin twins - R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal - making life difficult for Sunrisers in the middle overs. While the former maintained the stranglehold, Chahal (3/22) prised out Abhishek Sharma, totally out of sorts as an opener, Abdul Samad and Romario Shepherd for his 250th wicket in T20s.
In contrast to the free-stroking ways and clinical display of the Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad looked clearly undercooked on a day when barring the toss, nothing went right for Williamson.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was spot on, conceding just one in the opening over but the floodgates opened in the fourth over with Umran Malik, quick as they come but clearly struggling to find his radar, conceding 21 as Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal cashed in.
Washington Sundar looked offcolour and went for 18 in his first as Royals cruised to 58 without loss in powerplay.
Samson soon got into the act. The skipper hardly put a foot wrong during his blitzkrieg. It took a successful review by Malik to get rid of Buttler (35; 28b, 4x3, 6x3) but that only increased the run-flow as Samson and Padikkal realised 50 for the third wicket in just 33 deliveries.
Padikkal, batting at No. 4, unlike the opener's role he played at Royal Challengers Bangalore, was in his element too. The left-hander meted out special treatment to Romario Shepherd and T Natarajan.
If the Sunrisers were relieved to see the back of the top four, they had not contended with Hetmyer, whose 32 (13b, 4x2, 6x3) set it up nicely for Royals.
