Yuvraj Singh blitzkrieg helps Sunrisers Hyderabad conquer Royal Challengers Bangalore
Hyderabad: Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad got the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) off to a great start, notchin-up a massive 35-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Debutant and first Afghan cricketer to play in the IPL, Rashid Khan, had a brilliant day on the field, as he picked up the two crucial wickets of Mandeep Singh and Travis Head.
Chris Gayle and Mandeep Singh had got RCB off to a good start, but the two fell in quick succession after putting up a 52-run partnership.
Kedar Jadhav and Travis Head picked up the pace from the two openers, putting up a partnership of 56 runs, but their removal sparked the downfall of the RCB batting order.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar also came up with a good performance, coming out with figures of 2 for 27 from 4 overs. Senior paceman Ashish Nehra also picked up a couple of wickets in the end, removing the dangerous Shane Watson and S Aravind.
Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan (40) and Moises Henriques (52) got SRH off to a good start, after the early departure of captain David Warner (14).
However, it was Yuvraj Singh's brilliant 27-ball 62 in the middle order, that helped SRH post a massive total of 207. Yuvraj's innings helped him win the Man of the Match award.
RCB: 172-9 from 19.4 overs
WICKET! And its all over! Jordan finishes it off, as his direct throw hits the wicket, and renders Youzvendra Chahal run out. Sunrisers Hyderabad notch-up their first win of the 2017 IPL campaign with this 35-run win.
RCB: 164-9 from 18.5 overs
WICKET! A couple of big hits by Mills, but he ends up skying one in the end, as Warner made m=no mistake to take the high catch.
RCB: 156-8 from 18 overs
WICKETS! Brilliant bowling from Nehra. Removes danger man Watson and S Aravind in two consecutive deliveries. Things look bleak for RCB now.
RCB: 154-6 from 17 overs
WICKET! Bhuvneshwar Kumar finally gets his man, after Naman Ojha made a hash of an easy catch earlier. Yuvraj takes a smart catch at backward point this time, to remove Binny.
RCB: 139-5 from 15 overs
Despite a good start, SRH have managed to rein-back RCB with a few quick wickets in the middle overs. Rashid Khan, the first Afghan cricketer to play an IPL match has been brilliant with the ball, picking up 2 wickets.
RCB: 131-5 from 14 overs
WICKET! Bipul Sharma gets into the act. Sachin Baby plays a lofted shot on the leg side, but it fails to clear the boundary. Henriques takes a smart catch in the deep.
RCB: 126-4 from 13 overs
WICKET! The Afghan strikes again! Rashid Khan picks up his second wicket of the innings, as Head mistimes his shot. Yuvraj takes a smart catch in the deep.
RCB: 115-3 from 11.4 overs
WICKET! Jadhav played a smart shot towards square leg, and called for 2 runs immediately. However, Cutting's flat throw from the deep crashed into the stumps. Replays showed that Jadhav was well short of his mark.
RCB: 98-2 from 10 overs
Both Jadhav and Head have scored runs at a steady pace, since the departure of Mandeep and Gayle. RCB are still in this game.
RCB: 60-2 from 6.3 overs
WICKET! Another blow for RCB! Danger man Chris Gayle mis-times a Hooda delivery, as Warner makes no mistake, taking a smart catch in the deep.
RCB: 54-1 from 6 overs
WICKET! Rashid Khan creates history, as he picks up a wicket in his very first over in IPL. Mandeep completely missed the line of the ball, as it went on to crash into his stumps.
RCB: 48-0 from 5 overs
A cracking start by Chris Gayle and Mandeep Singh. The West Indian has already hit a couple of big sixes, and looks in good form. Meanwhile Mandeep has hit four boundaries. Rashid Khan into the attack.
SRH: 207-4 from 20 overs
Couple of big hits by Cutting towards the end, off Watson's bowling helps take SRH over the 200-run mark. This will be a difficult target for RCB to chase down. They need to come out with all guns blazing.
SRH: 191-4 from 19 overs
WICKET! Tymal Mills gets the important wicket. Knocks over Yuvi's stumps, as the southpaw misses a straight delivery.
SRH: 179-3 from 18 overs
Yuvraj Singh brings up his fastest fifty in the IPL, as he square-drives a Choudhary delivery into the offside.
SRH: 151-3 from 15.2 overs
WICKET! Having reached his 50-run mark, Henriques goes for the maximum, but ends up finding Sachin Baby in the deep.
SRH: 151-2 from 15 overs
Moises Henriques brings up a well-paced half century off 35 balls, with a big six from S Aravind.
SRH: 93-2 from 10.3 overs
WICKET! Stuart Binny gets the crucial wicket. RCB needed a breakthrough there. Dhawan goes for the big hoink on the leg side, but Sachin Baby was there in the deep to take an easy catch.
SRH: 84-1 from 9 overs
Dhawan and Enriques are absolutely clobbering the RCB bowlers all over the park. Both have started scoring at a brisk pace, as SRH launch their counter attack.
SRH: 42-1 from 5 overs
Moises Henriques has carried forward David Warner's momentum, as he takes SRH's score close to the 50-run mark.
SRH: 19-1 from 1.4 overs
Six and Out! Warner seemed to be in fine form, as he smashed Choudhary for a six over mid-wicket. However, he edged it straight to Mandeep Singh at backward point, the very next ball.
The Umpires have arrived, and we are all set to kick-off this year's Indian premier League. Tymal Mills to bowl the first ball to David Warner.
The team sheets are out. Rashid Khan becomes the first Afghan cricketer to start in an IPL game.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Warner (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Cutting, Henriques, Yuvraj, Hooda, Ojha, Bipul Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nehra, Rashid Khan.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Watson (c), Kedar Jadhav, Sachin Baby, Head, Binny, Mills, S Aravind, Aniket Choudhary, Chahal.
Toss: RCB stand-in captain Shane Watson has won the toss, and has decided to bowl first. SRH to come out to bat.
And the two captains are out...
There has been a huge queue outside the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, better known as the Uppal Stadium, in Hyderabad, today.
Opening ceremony:
The opening ceremony of the IPL 2017 has gotten underway with legendary cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag being felicitated by BCCI Committee of Administrators chief Vinod Rai.
Preview: The 10th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to take off at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, as defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Interestingly, two Australian cricketers – David Warner and Shane Watson – are set to lead the two sides, in what is slated to be this year’s first South Indian derby.
SRH are set to come out with a strong bowling lineup, with the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashish Nehra, while Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Kane Williamson, and Yuvraj Singh are set to take charge of the batting.
One the other hand, RCB find themselves in a bit of fix, as they travel to Hyderabad with a second string squad. Captain Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the match, after he injured his shoulder in the third Test against Australia.
Their star Indian opener KL Rahul has been ruled out of the tournament, also with a shoulder injury. Star South Africa batsman AB de Villiers has also been ruled out of the first game.
Hence former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson is set to play the role of the stand-in captain for the match, which gets underway at 8pm.
The match will be preceded by the Hyderabad leg of the opening ceremony, which will be graced by Bollywood actor Amy Jackson.
