Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Rajasthan Royals stunned Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening game of IPL 2022 by registering 61 run win at the MCA stadium in Pune. Much to everyone's surprise, the Royals maintained their dominance in the contest as Prasidh Krishan and Yuzvendra Chahal brought their best in the game by packing two and three of Hyderabad's batters, respectively. Krishna conceded just two runs and picked two wickets in his two overs of the powerplay, which derailed the Sunrisers' run chase.
Aiden Markram was the only bright spot for the Royals as they scored a solitary fifty. Earlier, Jos Buttler (35 off 28) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22 off 16) provided a solid start to the Royals in the first innings of the game, as the duo added 58-runs before Jaiswal got dismissed. Joined by skipper Sanju Samson, Buttler continued attacking Hyderabad bowlers as he scored 35 off 28 balls, which included three sixes and as many as fours. Young prodigy Umran Malik dismissed Buttler in the 9th over of the game, but the assault from Royals' batters didn't stop. Sanju Samson (55 off 27) and Devdutt Padikkal (41 off 29) added 73 runs for the next wicket. In the end, Shimron Hetmyer showed off his hard-hitting skills as he scored 32 off 13 runs; his innings was studded with three sixes and two boundaries.
Although Hyderabad batters failed to make a mark in the game and surrendered in front of Royals' bowlers, Romario Shepherd (24 off 18) and Washington Sundar (40 off 14) showed some resilience in the game and treated fans with some hard-hitting batting.
Here are some highlights from the game.
1) SRH bowlers bowled four no-balls in the first five overs:
Delivering a no-ball can cost more than a game. Experienced bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled were guilty of overstepping twice in his first two overs, and Buttler's blistering knock in the game was its cost. Later, youngsters followed the footsteps of experienced bowlers and Umran Malik and Washington Sundar too joined the league by conceding extra runs with their mistakes.
2) Sanju Samson (55 off 27)
Royal's skipper stole the show with his hard-hitting shots in the opening game. Despite the extra responsibility of captaincy, Samson didn't fall but rose above occasions as he built a much-needed partnership with the players like Jos Buttler for the second wicket and then with Devdutt Padikkal for the third wicket. Samson played one of the best shots in the book and decorated his innings with five sixes and three fours. The skipper was also rewarded with Man of the Match for his fabulous batting display in the game.
3) Abdul Samad takes a brilliant running catch to dismiss Sanju Samson
Players have already started submitting their submissions for catches in the tournament category, and Samad is surely one of the contenders. Samad's brilliance on the field sent dangerous-looking Sanju Samson and provided much relief to Hyderabad bowlers who were facing the heat of Samson's brilliant batting.
4) Exceptional bowling spell from Prasidh Krishna and Yuzvendra Chahal
Prasidh Krishna showed his masterclass with the bowl. He conceded just two runs while bowling in the powerplay and added feather to his performance with brilliant wickets. He first dismissed skipper Kane Williamson on the fourth ball of the second over and then provided yet another breakthrough by dismissing Rahul Tripathi in his second over. Meanwhile, Chahal was on fire during the game. He picked three crucial wickets in the game, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, and dangerous-looking Romario Shepherd. Together, the duo clinched half of the Hyderabad batters and contributed to the game.
5) Washington Sundar's 40 off 14
Click to watch: Washington Sundar's fiery 40(14) (iplt20.com)
Despite Hyderabad losing the game, Sundar's batting display was one of the takeaways from the competition. He scored 40 off just 14 balls with the help of two sixes and five fours. His innings helped Hyderabad to close the loosing by a huge extent.