IPL: SRH start off strong, defeat RCB by 35 runs

RCB were bowled out for 172 runs in the 20th over.

The two teams had last met each other in the final of the previous edition, with SRH thumping their RCB counterparts to lift its inaugural trophy.

Meanwhile, RCB fielded a side without AB de Villiers, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, who have all been sidelined with injury issues.

The RCB opening pair of Mandeep Singh and Chris Gayle started off on a strong note, piling up 52 runs before Singh departed in the sixth over.

Rashid Khan, the first Afghan player to play in the IPL, picked up his first scalp in his first over as Singh dragged one back on to his stumps.

The likes of Gayle (32), Singh (24), Travis Head (30), Shane Watson (22) and Kedar Jadhav (31) all failed to capitalise on their starts, as wickets fell on regular intervals.

Among the SRH bowlers, Ashish Nehra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan picked up two wickets each, while, Deepak Hooda and Bipul Sharma accounted for a scalp each. 
Earlier, RCB won the toss and elected to ball first, conceding 207 runs while picking up four wickets.

For SRH, Yuvraj Singh top scored with the bat, hitting 62 runs off 27 balls.

The southpaw's innings consisted of seven boundaries and three sixes.

Yuvraj also set up a 58-run partnership with Moises Henriques (52) for the third wicket.

Henriques' 37-ball innings was decked with three fours and two sixes.

The Aussie allrounder was also involved in a 74-run partnership with Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 40 runs before being dismissed by Stuart Binny.

A late surge from Ben Cutting (16 off 6 balls) helped the hosts put up a daunting total.

For RCB, Stuart Binny, Tymal Mills, Yuzvendra Chahal and Aniket Choudhary picked up a wicket each.

Yuvraj Singh was adjudged the Man of the Match for his effort with the bat.

(Writing by Sudipto Maity)
 

image: twitter.com/IPL