That's a wrap from us here. Thanks for joining in.
That's a wrap from us here. Thanks for joining in.
Man of the match - Shikhar Dhawan
Captain comments:
Williamson:No doubt we missed Davey (Warner). He's been a fantastic player for a lot of years. Good to see everyone stepping up. Guys were great on the field and all did their roles well. It was nice to see people step up well with both bat and ball. All the bowlers certainly played their part. We got wickets at key times, but it was important we fielded well. We took some really good catches. A team effort. Yes, there are small areas we can still improve. (On bowling a lot of short balls) It wasn't a planned thing, the surface was such that the short ball was coming on nicely. There was something for the pacers and the spinners while the batsmen were also to score runs. A fair surface actually. (On Dhawan's innings) I had the best seat in the house, he hit it really well. The intent was great from ball one. Saha also showed intent from the start. Hopefully we can keep it up in the coming games as well.
Rahane: We thought 126 was on the lower side. When we were batting we thought 160 would be a great total. We did quite well as a bowling unit, but the Sunrisers were excellent with the ball. Sanju (Samson) and I tried to back our game but lost too many wickets in the middle, and that's where we lost the game. I think the lack of one big partnership is what cost us. Even one partnership would have given us a more competitive total. I'm very unhappy with the dropped catch. I work very hard on my fielding during practice, but it's a part and parcel of the game - you have some bad days. It's the first game, and we have to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them in future.
So that's it:
The outcome has been known for far too long for anyone's liking, and Dhawan seals it with a crushing pull through mid-wicket. Sour return to the IPL for Rajasthan Royals after a two-year hiatus. They were completely outplayed with both bat and ball. Worrying signs already for Rahane, who will have a massive job in hand to stir his players on from this drubbing.
Telling stat:
A bit late, but quite a telling stat this to sum up RR's miseries - Today was only the 11th instance of a team not hitting a six in a completed 20-overs innings in IPL.
It was the fourth such instance by RR - the most for a team.
Fifty for Dhawan:
Belts the half-century off 34 balls. Royals, at this point, are resigned to their fate. Hardly any energy out there. Plenty to cheer for the orange army
Injury update:
Jofra Archer is still recovering from his side-strain, which is why he's failed to make the cut today.
Toss - SRH will bowl first
Overseas players
RR: Stokes, Buttler, Short, Laughlin
SRH: Rashid, Stanlake, KW, Shakib
Prelude:
Hello and welcome everyone to Match 4 of IPL 2018. It's the Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on the Rajasthan Royals - the two teams this year who've had to encounter some pretty unfortunate circumstances in their preparation for this tournament. Imagine having laid out a set plan, under a set leadership, but then having to throw those plans right out the window. That's what happened as the repercussions from the ball-tampering scandals came thick and fast for Steve Smith and David Warner. The replacements have been made, new captains have been announced, and now it's about starting the season strong.
This match also marks the IPL return for Rajasthan Royals after a two-year hiatus. Being the winners of the maiden edition, especially the way they did without the big names, they've always had a special corner for fans. It's an occasion many are looking forward to.