Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad Live Blog

Goodbye

As Jos Buttler walks off the field with his player of the match award, it is time to end our live coverage of this IPL match. Thanks for joining us.

Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs!

There’s no mercy rule in cricket, but you can understand why it exists in other sports.  You feel Hyderabad threw in the towel after the powerplay, they always were behind the game and never quite found the fluency needed in such a sizeable run chase.

Take no credit away from the Royals, however. Some excellent bowling made life difficult, and it’s always easy to bowl with confidence and guile with 200+ on the board. One sided? Yes. Exciting? Also yes.

Over 18.5

Oh, hello! Umran Malik dispatches Trent Boult over mid-wicket for a maximum. Some last minute fireworks will be welcome, but it is simply too little, too late at this point.

Wicket

Too good. Take a bow, Yuzvendra Chahal. Bhuvneshwar Kumar looks baffled, a top-quality googly deceives the lower order batter with ease, and he’s bowled. Not even the most hardcore of Hyderabad fans believe, that’s how bleak it is.

Wicket

You have to say this is a blessing; a merciful downfall that will simply speed up the inevitable. Spinning a web with his tight bowling so far, Chahal gets one to rip past an agricultural shot from Adil Rashid, and Samson behind the stumps obliges in whipping the bails off. That’s the seventh wicket for Royals, and the game is finished.

Halfway

It appears executioners axe has already been swung. Two more wickets to the tally, one to Holder and the other to Ashwin, have left Hyderabad reeling at 48 for 5 at the hallway point. It’s going to take something genuinely unprecedented for a comeback; 156 from 60 just doesn’t happen. I’m more than happy to proven wrong, however.

Wicket

Is this the death knell for Hyderabad’s chances? Yuzi Chahal knocks over dangerman Harry Brook for 13! A length delivery just skids on a little bit, cramping Brook for room and crashing into his wickets. Trouble. Big trouble.

Over 6

A dominant powerplay for Royals comes to an end as they finish on 30 for 2. It’s go-time for Hyderabad or this game is done.

Wicket

Trent Boult take a bow! Another dot ball adds the pressure, and new man Rahul Tripathi obliges by nicking to slip. Jason Holder leaps to his left and takes what the kids called a worldie. A review is in vain and Tripathi is on his way. This brings Englishman Harry Brook to the crease.

Wicket

Two dot balls, and out! Abhishek can’t be blamed for this one, really, An absolute seed from Kiwi Trent Boult removes the batters off-stump, a devilish out-swinging yorker proving too much for the Hyderabad opener.

Start of second Innings

Let’s get going. Abhishek and Mayank are opening with Royals’ Boult taking the new ball. The target? 204.

End of Innings

Rajasthan have notched up 203 for 5 in their 20. A rollercoaster of an innings that saw both sides fight for momentum, much credit has to go to the Royals openers for making a fast start. If Hyderabad have a chance of winning, they’ll thank Farooqi for vital wickets throughout the innings.

Over 16.1

Farooqi is in the action again, but this time as fielder. Natarajan gets Riyan Parag to swing across the line to a ball that climbs on him, and Farooqi takes a safe catch at third man.

Over 15

Another wicket has gone, Devdutt Paddikal, and Royals are now at 160 for 3. The end is in sight, and a mammoth total is on the cards.

Wicket 

It’s that man again, Fazalhaq Farooqi! Jaiswal slaps it, but not far enough, as the fielder at deep square leg. A bit of a long hop does the trick and Mayank makes no mistake in the outfield.

Halfway

Royals notch up 122/1 at the halfway mark, with Jaiswal and Samson starting to find their form and nearing their half-centuries. It’s a fantastic platform, and Hyderabad really need to apply the brakes before its too late.

Over 9.4

Indian pacer Umran Malik gets dispatched for six, albeit fortuitously. Sanju Samson top edges Malik and it soars into the stands for a maximum. Watch out in the crowd!

Over 6

That’s the powerplay done, and goodness me, Rajasthan shook off their slow start in emphatic fashion. They finish the powerplay 85 for 1, and are building a commanding platform.

Wicket

The onslaught finally abates as Fazalhaq Farooqi makes the breakthrough. Both metaphorically and physically, in this case, as he castles Buttler’s off-stump with a back of a length delivery. Desperately needed for the Sunrisers as Buttler departs for a rapid 54.

Over 1

Bhuvneshwar Kumar tests England white-ball captain Jos Buttler with a probing first over, but it remains honours even after a tentative start from the Royals who have notched up 6-0.

Teams

Fresh off the paper in the press box, here are the team sheets:

Sunrisers Hyderabad XI: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips (wk), Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (c), Adil Rashid, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Rajasthan Royals XI: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, KM Asif

Hyderabad win the toss

Samson gets the call wrong, and Hyderabad win the toss! Looking at the pitch more than the sky, Sunrisers’ captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar elects to bowl first. Is their a hint of fear in that decision? Hyderabad’s batting line-up has been vulnerable in a way the Royals’ hasn’t, and you feel Samson’s men may well relish the opportunity to take the game to them. It won’t be long until we find out, that’s for sure!

Preview

Hyderabad fans, bad news. Captain Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen are currently on national duty so are unavailable, but Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips, Mayank Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi are playing, Watch out for Abhishek Sharma as well.

Rajasthan will rely on English superstar Jos Buttler and Indian internationals Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal to deliver if they are to take victory.

Hello

Welcome to a live blog of the latest fixture in this year’s Indian Premier League competition as Rajasthan Royals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad.