IPL 2019: Sunrisers Hyderabad inflict 118-run humiliation on Royal Challengers Bangalore

Virat Kohli won the toss and inserted Sunrisers Hyderabad into bat at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium. That was the only thing Kohli won in a contest that was dominated by Sunrisers Hyderabad. Jonny Bairstow (114) struck his maiden ton, David Warner notched up his fourth ton and their 185-run record opening partnership laid the base for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s highest score in IPL of 231/2. With Warner and Bairstow having decimated Royal Challengers Bangalore with the bat, Mohammad Nabi ran through the batting order with 4/11 as Royal Challengers Bangalore were bowled out for 113, losing the match by 118 runs and losing by one run alone to Bairstow’s bat in the IPL 2019 encounter on Sunday.

On a barren pitch at Uppal, The opening over of the Sunrisers Hyderabad innings set the tone for the match with both Warner and Bairstow hammering 12 runs in the first over bowled by Moeen Ali. Both batsmen found the boundaries at regular intervals and in the powerplay, Sunrisers Hyderabad had reached 59/0. After the end of the first powerplay, both batsmen maintained the aggressive tempo and Royal Challengers Bangalore wilted under the pressure. Bairstow started the carnage by hammering a six and two fours off 16-year-old debutant Prayas Ray Barman and in the next over bowled by Colin de Grandhomme, the England player blasted two more sixes.

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Warner matched Bairstow stroke for stroke as both batsmen notched up their milestones. Bairstow reached his maiden ton and the partnership between the duo helped Sunrisers Hyderabad go past 200. In the final over of the innings, Warner reached his landmark with a boundary. In the process, both Warner and Bairstow reached a special mark.

Both scoring tons

Warner and Bairstow became the fourth duo after Kevin O’Brien and Hamish Marshall, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, Alex Hales and Rilee Rossouw to hit centuries in the same innings. O’Brien and Marshall achieved the feat against Middlesex in Uxbridge in 2011 while Kohli and de Villiers smashed centuries in the IPL clash in 2016 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions. Roussouw and Hales smashed centuries for Rangpur Riders against Chittagong Kings in the recent Bangladesh Premier League.

The partnership of 185 between Warner and Bairstow was not only the highest for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but it was also the highest opening stand in the history of the Indian Premier League. The stand broke the previous record of 184 set by Chris Lynn and Gautam Gambhir against Gujarat Lions in 2017 in Rajkot. The efforts helped Sunrisers Hyderabad reach 231/2, their highest score in the history of the IPL and the second-highest against Royal Challengers Bangalore, falling behind the mark of 232 set by Kings XI Punjab in Dharamsala in 2011. Overall, this was the 10th highest score by a team in the IPL.

Nabi blows away RCB

Chasing 232, Royal Challengers Bangalore needed a solid start but Mohammad Nabi had other ideas. Parthiv Patel (11), Shimron Hetmyer (9) and AB de Villiers (1) fell in a manic passage of three overs. When Virat Kohli (3) drove Sandeep Sharma to extra cover and Shivam Dube fell cheaply to Nabi again, the game was up. Nabi’s spell of 4/11 had broken the back of the Royal Challengers Bangalore attack and they only delayed the inevitable.

Prayas Ray Barman and Colin de Grandhomme shared a solid fifty-plus stand but with the game drifting away, Sunrisers Hyderabad bid their time and took the remaining wickets in clinical fashion as Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their third straight game and stayed at the bottom. After the match, Kohli described this “as the worst loss ever.” With this loss, it looks like it will be the same old story for Royal Challengers Bangalore in yet another IPL edition.

HIGHLIGHTS

• This was the third straight loss for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2019.
• Jonny Bairstow scored his maiden ton.
• David Warner scored his fourth ton and Sunrisers Hyderabad registered their fourth game.