Agencies
Bangalore, April 13
Openers David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan laid a solid platform as Sunrisers Hyderabad eased to a eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bangalore on Monday.
Hyderabad chased down the 167-run target in 17.2 overs with Warner slamming a 27-ball 57-run knock that was studded with six fours and fours sixes.
Dhawan remained not out on 50 with Lokesh Rahul for company who gave a good account of himself with an unbeaten 44.
Dhawan reached his half-century off 41 balls with a six over mid-wicket.
Warner explored every nook and corner of the ground to crack a fifty as Sunrisers registered a convincing win. Warner was in imperious touch and just annihilated Bangalore's attack.
In particular, Harshal Patel and Varun Aaron came in for some severe punishment. Warner then reached his fifty in a mere 24 balls. At the other end of the spectrum, Dhawan played with composure and once Warner was dismissed, he strung together a fine partnership with KL Rahul to steer the visitors home. Bangalore's bowlers bowled all over the place and it became difficult for Virat Kohli to set a field.
Earlier, Trent Boult picked up three wickets in one over after AB de Villiers' enterprising 28-ball 46 as Bangalore were all out for 166 runs.
Asked to bat, RCB were helped by de Villiers' knock that contained two sixes and five fours. Captain Virat Kohli was the next best scorer with a 37-ball 41.
But pace spearhead Boult pegged back RCB by taking the wickets of de Villiers, Sean Abbott and Harshal Patel in the innings' penultimate over.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar then grabbed two wickets in the final over as RCB's innings ended with a ball to spare.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore were off to a brisk start with Chris Gayle and Kohli going great guns at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Gayle started the onslaught by lofting Boult straight over his head for a massive six in only the third ball of the innings.
Kohli then majestically drove Kumar past mid-off, bringing the packed home crowd on its feet with his strokeplay.
Gayle followed it up with three more boundaries before medium pacer Praveen Kumar had him caught at deep square leg while going for a wild flick. The Jamaican hit three fours and a six during his 16-ball 21.
The big-signing Dinesh Karthik looked out of sorts during his 11-ball nine, his stay in the middle ending with a top-edge off a Karn Sharma ball.
Captain Kohli kept the spectators excited with two sixes.
However, it was Sunrises Hyderabad who had more to cheer about as Ravi Bopara, with his military medium pace bowling, sent back the dangerous Kohli (41) and Mandeep Singh off successive deliveries in the 12th over.
Hyderabad skipper David Warner pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at cover to send back Mandeep, leaping to right with both his feet off the ground.
But RCB still had De Villiers to bank on and the big-hitting South African tried to deliver before falling to Boult. Prior to that, Shikhar Dhawan was successful in holding a de Villiers biggie off Bopara but the momentum took the fielder over the long-on boundary, resulting in a six.
Before that, de Villiers smashed Bopara for three successive boundaries.
