David Warner scored a 37-ball 69 while Jonny Bairstow hit 28-ball 45 as Sunrisers Hyderabad chased a target of 199 against Rajasthan Royals.
According to India Today, Sanju Samson’s 55-ball 102 not out for the Royals went in vain as Warner stamped his class in the 2019 Indian Premier League once again.
Rajasthan Royals had every reason to be optimistic. Before Friday, they had never lost a game after scoring over 195 in the first innings. Samson’s hundred had given Rajasthan the momentum and SRH, who were destroyed by Andre Russell at the Eden Gardens, would have felt the pressure of a high chase.
Pressure? What’s that! At leas that was David Warner’s attitude when he walked out and started attacking the RR bowlers from the word go. Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 54 off the first 5 overs; Warner had scored 45 of them. March 29 marked the end of Warner’s (and Steve Smith’s) ball-tampering ban and he was in the mood to celebrate.
A David Warner hundred was on the cards but Ben Stokes ensured Sanju Samson’s hundred continued to be the only hundred of the new season after 8 matches. Warner and his opening partner Bairstow, however, had done the damage by then – they had added 110 off only 9.4 overs in a frenetic opening partnership.
Bairstow departed 7 runs later in the 11th over but Vijay Shankar joined Kane Williamson and kept the momentum going for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, the Royals were not done yet.
Jaydev Unadkat, brought into the attack surprisingly late, removed Kane Williamson in the 15th over. SRH still needed 34 off the final 5 overs when Manish Pandey joined Shankar in the middle.
The tone for the evening was really set by Sanju Samson, who shared a 119-run stand with Rahane for the second wicket. Rashid Khan brought the Hyderabad crowd on its feet when he dismissed Jos Buttler in his first over.
Undaunted by the big blow, Samson took on the aggressor’s role while Rahane played some sterling shots. Once Rahane fell for 70, Samson switched gears and raced away to his second IPL hundred off only 54 balls.
