In arguably one of the most devastating batting displays in IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad made a mockery of RCB skipper Virat Kohli ‘s move of asking them to bat first after winning the toss.
SRH openers England’s Jonny Bairstow and Aussie David Warner who struck their third consecutive 100 plus opening partnership thus becoming the first pair to do so in IPL history went after the RCB bowling for the word go. And RCB had no clue as to how to stop the onslaught. RCB skipper Virat Kohli looked clueless and his bowlers demoralised.
Making his IPL debut Jonny Bairstow played a blistering knock and struck a blazing 114 from just 56 balls. Warner carried his bat for a 55-ball 100 . The pair put on a record 185-run first-wicket partnership to post a mammoth 231 for two.
A day when a few #VIVOIPL records have already been broken! #SRHvRCB pic.twitter.com/SdGuBAyO0j
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2019
Bairstow blasted RCB with 12 fours and seven mighty sixes while Warner hit five fours and as many sixes in his 55-ball knock. The twin knocks were enough to demolish the RCB confidence and the morale of the team.
The RCB bowling figures indicated their misery Umesh Yadav 0/ 47 ( 4 overs) Yuzvendra Chahal 0 / 44 ( 4 overs) 16 year-old leg spinner Prayas Barman 0/ 56 ( 4 overs)
It was gigantic task for RCB batsmen after the SRH demolition of their bowling . And the shell- shocked RCB collapsed without a fight in the chase. And they lost wickets at regular intervals and in 7. 5 overs the match was virtually over. RCB were tottering at 35/ 6.
Tall Afghan all rounder Mohammad Nabi wrecked the RCB batting with figures of 4/ 11 ( 4 overs), Sandeep Sharma took 3/ 19 ( 3. 5 overs) .
The only resistance by RCB was done by Colin de Grandhomme (37) and 16-year-old Prayas Ray Barman (19) . RCB needed Skipper Virat Kohli and A B De Villiers to fire but the duo scored 3 and 1 respectively and the game was truly over for RCB. It was only the inevitable that remained . RCB were bundled out for 113 in 19. 5 overs. Their third consecutive loss.
Virat Kohli will have to really think hard to change things around as another loss in up-coming games could very well end their campaign and last place finish is clearly on the cards until a dramatic turn- around. It will need a huge effort of this humiliation by SRH to bounce back .