Jos Buttler scores 54 runs in the powerplay as the Rajasthan Royals post 203-5 batting first; in response, the Sunrisers Hyderabad finish on 131-8, with Trent Boult (2-21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (4-17) taking key wickets
Sunday 2 April 2023 22:05, UK
Jos Buttler scored a half-century as the Rajasthan Royals started their IPL campaign with a resounding 72-run victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
England's white-ball captain smashed 54 off 22 balls inside the batting powerplay, while Yashavi Jaiswal (54) and Sanju Samson (55) also scored half-centuries as Rajasthan posted 203-5.
The Sunrisers finished on a disappointing 131-8, with Trent Boult (2-21) taking two wickets in the first over and Yuzvendra Chahal (4-17) running through the middle order, claiming the key wickets of Harry Brook (13) and Mayank Agarwal (27).
Chahal brought up 170 IPL wickets - the joint second-most with Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga - when Adil Rashid was stumped, and he then bowled Bhuvneshwar Kumar with a googly.
"We knew 200 was a good score on this wicket," Chahal said.
"My plan was to vary my pace and bowl stump to stump. It is always my strength. I am doing nothing new and I am just backing my strengths."
At one stage, it looked like the Sunrisers would be bowled out for less than 100, but Abdul Samad remained unbeaten on a run-a-ball 32 and Umran Malik played a cameo of 19 not out.
Earlier, Buttler hit seven boundaries and three sixes in a whirlwind innings inside the first six overs before he played onto Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi as Rajasthan stormed to 122-1 in the first half of their batting innings.
Hyderabad bounced back despite Jaiswal and Samson cracking fine half-centuries, with fast bowler Thangarasu Natarajan (2-23) stemming the flow of runs and Farooqi also making good in his return spell to finish with 2-41.
Farooqi broke the half-century stand between Jaiswal and Samson when he had the former caught at deep square leg and Natarajan deceived Samson with a slower delivery in the penultimate over.
"It is the first match of the season and there is a lot to improve," Hyderabad skipper Kumar said after the fast bowler conceded 36 runs in his three overs against Buttler's onslaught.
"We need to execute our plans and hopefully we will get better."
Virat Kohli (82 off 49) and Faf du Plessis (73 off 43) shared a stunning 148-run first wicket partnership, as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat the Mumbai Indians by eight wickets.
After being put in to bat first, the Mumbai set RCB a target of 171, with Namboori Varma top scoring with 84 off 46.
But the rest of the top order faltered for Mumbai, as they collapsed to 48-4 after nine overs before Nehal Wadhera (21 off 13) and Arshad Khan (15 off 9) added useful runs for Rohit Sharma's side.
Reece Topley took a wicket in his two-over spell, while Karan Sharma finished with best figures of 2-32 for RCB.
In response, Kohli and du Plessis got RCB off to the best possible start as Mumbai's bowling attack - which included Jofra Archer - struggled to make a breakthrough.
It was a disappointing return to the IPL for Archer, who finished with figures of 0-33 from four overs.
RCB's openers set the platform and despite losing du Plessis and Dinesh Karthik in back to back overs, Kohli and Glenn Maxwell saw their side home.
