IPL 2023: SRH vs RR Review – Rajasthan register a massive win
Rajasthan Royals pulled off a dominating performance to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs in the fourth match of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) on Sunday, April 2. Rajasthan Royals picked up from where they left off last season as they scored 203/5 while batting first with Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, and Yashaswi Jaiswal smashing fifties. Then Trent Boult picked two wickets in the very first over and Yuzvendra Chahal took four wickets to clinch a big win as the Sunrisers crumbled under pressure and collapsed on their way to a loss.
The stand-in skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the toss and elected to bowl first with Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, Adil Rashid, and Glenn Phillips making their debut for the franchise. Rajasthan handed KM Asif and Jason Holder their maiden caps as they field the familiar playing eleven from last season.
Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal dominated the powerplay overs by pulling an 85-run stand for the first wicket in just 35 balls. Buttler smashed 54 off 22 before getting bowled out on Fazalhaq Farooqi’s delivery in the sixth over. But that did not stop run flow as skipper Sanju Samson added a 54-run stand for the second wicket with Yashasvi.
Both Samson and Yashasvi recorded quick half-centuries and Shimron Hetmyer smashed 22* off 16 to post a big total. Farooqi and T Natarajan picked two wickets each while Washington Sundar and Bhuvneshwar struggled with costly spells.
While chasing, the Sunrisers lost last season’s top-two run-getters Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi on ducks in the very first over. Mayank Agarwal scored 27 off 23 but did not get any kind of support from his teammates. Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin were impressive in the middle overs and never gave space to the Sunrisers for a comeback.
Abdul Samad came as an impact player and top-scored with 32* off 32 to avoid losing all ten wickets. But the Sunrisers managed to score just 131/8 to suffer a heavy 72-run defeat. Chahal took four wickets for 17 but Boult’s two wickets in the first over dented the Sunrisers early as they only played catchup from there.
Top Performers of the Match:
Jos Buttler: The English wicketkeeper batter smashed a 20-ball fifty to give the Royals a sensational start. He smashed seven fours and three big sixes as he scored the runs at a strike rate of 245.45. Buttler won the Orange Cap last season and will be a leading candidate to retain it this season.
Trent Boult: The left-arm Kiwi pacer bowled out dangerous Abhishek on the innings’ third delivery and then after two deliveries dismissed Rahul Tripathi to ensure pushing his opponents on the backfoot right from the onset.
What’s next for both teams?
Sunrisers Hyderabad next face Lucknow Super Giants away in their next game on April 7 while Rajasthan Royals host Punjab Kings in Guwahati on April 5.
