Pune: Rajasthan Royals (RR) comprehensively defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 61 runs as they became the first team to win by batting first in the 5th match of the IPL 2022 here on Tuesday.
Batting first, RR plundered 210 which provided them the cushion to defend it with aplomb. The top five batsmen of Rajasthan started with skipper Sanju Samson smacking 55 off 27 balls which was laced with 5 sixes.
SRH bowlers did not strike the right chords and gave away far too many runs.
RR then started remarkably well with the ball striking with the new ball and pegging back the run rate.
At the halfway-mark of the chase, the game became predictable. The margin though was reduced as Aiden Markram (57 no off 41) fought a lone battle towards the end and Washington Sundar played an astounding cameo of 40 off 14 balls.
RR bowlers, especially Prasidh Krishna (2/16) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3/22), were on dot and were rewarded with wickets. Trent Boult (2/23) and Ravichandran Ashwin also completed the rout by bowling frugal overs.
Chasing a massive 211 runs target, SRH started off poorly. Krishna struck early as he dismissed Kane Williamson and Rahul Tripathi. Boult joined the party and he got the better of Nicholas Pooran and SRH were three down inside five overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal then dismissed Abhishek Sharma (9) and Abdul Samad (4).
Earlier, Samson's half-century, besides Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer and Jos Buttler's cameos, powered RR to 210 for 6.
Samson brought up his scintillating 50 in just 25 balls, which was decorated with 5 sixes and 3 boundaries. With this, he holds the record of hitting the most sixes for the franchise.
Notably, it was his third consecutive fifty in IPL's opening game. He was dismissed for 55 by seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar after being caught by Abdul Samad.
At the top, Devdutt Padikkal scored 41 and Jos Buttler 35, besides Shimron Hetmeyer blasted 32 runs off 13 balls in the death.
For Hyderabad, their bowling was found wanting. Their bowling line-up packed with Romario Shepherd, Umran Malik and T Natarajan, gave away some freebies in the middle overs, while Washington Sundar struggled to get some purchase out of the pitch.
Nevertheless, Malik and Natarajan bagged 2 wickets each, while Bhuvi and Shepherd managed a wicket each.
Put into bat, Buttler survived on two occasions in quick succession off Bhuvi's bowling who overstepped, negating the decisions by the straight umpire.
The English batsman made good use of the opportunities and stitched a half-century stand for the opening wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Hyderabad came back strongly and struck twice in quick succession to not only end the opening stand with the wicket of Jaiswal, but the wicket of the dangerous Buttler.
With two new batsmen at the crease, Hyderabad looked to claw their way back, but Samson and Padikkal denied them the luxury.
They cashed in on the easy-paced surface and took the attack to the Hyderabad bowlers. Their quickfire 73-run stand ensured Rajasthan's smooth sail in the middle overs.
The Hyderabad spinners leaked as many as 62 runs off four overs, conceding 2 boundaries and 6 sixes.
Samson smacked two sixes in two balls off Sundar to bring up his half-century, off only 25 balls. He was well set for a late surge, but Bhuvi finally struck. He did not overstep this time as RR captain mistimed a pull and was holed out at long on. (UNI)
