The Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals faced off in a highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) match on April 2nd, 2023. The two teams were looking to start their IPL campaign on a winning note and put their best foot forward in the match.
The match started with the Sunrisers Hyderabad winning the toss and opting to bat first. The Sunrisers' opening pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow got off to a slow start, scoring just 10 runs off the first three overs. However, they soon found their rhythm and started to play some attacking shots.
Bairstow, in particular, was in a destructive mood as he smashed the Rajasthan Royals' bowlers to all parts of the ground. He scored his half-century off just 29 balls, which included five fours and three sixes. Warner, on the other hand, was happy to play second fiddle and rotate the strike.
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Coach: Brian Lara
Home ground: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
IPL titles: 1 (2016)
Owners: Sun TV Network
The Rajasthan Royals' bowlers were under immense pressure as Bairstow continued to attack. However, they managed to get the breakthrough in the 10th over when Shreyas Gopal had Warner caught behind for 21. This brought Manish Pandey to the crease, who played a solid innings of 35 off 30 balls.
Captain: Sanju Samson
Coach: Kumar Sangakkara
Home ground: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
IPL titles: 1 (2008)
Owners: Manoj Badale, Lachlan Murdoch, RedBird Capital Partners
Bairstow, meanwhile, continued to dominate the Rajasthan Royals' bowlers and brought up his century off just 60 balls. He eventually fell for a brilliant 123 off 77 balls, which included 12 fours and six sixes. His innings was the cornerstone of the Sunrisers' innings, and they finished with a total of 198/4 in their 20 overs.
The Rajasthan Royals' chase got off to a poor start as they lost their opener, Jos Buttler, for just 4 runs in the second over. Sanju Samson, the Royals' captain, then came to the crease and played some attacking shots. However, he fell for 23 off 16 balls, leaving the Royals in trouble at 42/2.
The Sunrisers' bowlers then tightened the screws, and the Royals' middle order struggled to get going. Shivam Dube and Liam Livingstone tried to resurrect the innings, but the required run rate kept creeping up. Dube eventually fell for 25 off 22 balls, leaving the Royals in a precarious position at 111/4 in the 14th over.
Livingstone continued to battle on, but he was running out of partners at the other end. The Sunrisers' bowlers, led by Rashid Khan, kept things tight and didn't give the Royals' batsmen any freebies. Khan, in particular, was impressive as he picked up two wickets and gave away just 19 runs in his four overs.
In the end, the Rajasthan Royals fell short by 34 runs, finishing with a total of 164/8 in their 20 overs. Livingstone top-scored for the Royals with 63 off 49 balls, but his innings wasn't enough to take his team over the line.
Overall, it was a dominant performance by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were led by a magnificent century from Jonny Bairstow. Their bowlers also stepped up and restricted the Rajasthan Royals to a manageable total. The Sunrisers will be hoping to carry this form forward in their upcoming matches, while the Royals will be looking to bounce back from this defeat.