Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals: Player ratings
Sunrisers Hyderabad was heavily dependant on Warner in the past few seasons and were expected to take a massive blow after the ban. However, in their opening game of the season, Hyderabad absolutely dominated the Roy in all aspects of the match.
Let us take a look at how each player progressed in the match:
Rajasthan Royals
Ajinkya Rahane: 5.5/10
The captain of the Rajasthan Royals didn't have the best starts to the season as he only managed to score 13 runs off 13 deliveries. He didn't look settled the entire time he was at the crease and eventually lost his wicket to a fabulous catch by Rashid Khan.
D'Arcy Short: 3/10
After the stunning performances in the big bash, a lot of eyes were on the dangerous Australian opener. However, he couldn't continue his heroics in his debut IPL match as he was run out by Kane Williamson. He would hope to perform for the team in the next game.
Sanju Samson: 8/10
Samson looked in great touch from the first ball of his innings. He played exceptionally well and punished the bad deliveries. He scored a brilliant 49 off 42 balls before losing his wicket to Shakib Al Hasan. He would've hoped to finish the innings for his team.
Ben Stokes: 3/10
Known to be one of the best all-rounders in world cricket at the moment, Ben Stokes couldn't contribute much to the scoreboard as he only managed to score five runs in 8 balls. The all-rounder struggled against Rashid Khan and ultimately lost his wicket to Stanlake.
Rahul Tripathi: 6/10
Playing in a different position than the previous season, Tripathi looked aggressive and was attempting to attack the bowlers. However, he could only score 17 off 15 balls as he lost his wicket to Shakib Al Hasan.
Jos Buttler: 3.5/10
The explosive Englishman didn't look in great touch in the opening game for his team. He struggled against all the bowlers and could only score six runs off nine deliveries. He lost his wicket to Rashid Khan as he dragged the ball onto the stumps.
Krishnappa Gowtham: 1/10
The 20-year-old had a horrific start to the season as he couldn't add any runs to the scoreboard. He lost his wicket to a stunning bouncer by Kaul.
Shreyas Gopal: 6/10
He scored a fighting 18 off 18 deliveries as the Hyderabad bowlers were cruising through the other batsmen. He played well and tried to add runs for the team.
Dhawal Kulkarni: 5/10
Kulkarni was unlucky with the ball as he could've got the wicket of the dangerous Dhawan. However, a dropped catch from the skipper left him wicketless in the first match of this season. He bowled 2.5 overs and conceded 18 runs.
Jaydev Unadkat: 3/10
There were a lot of talks after the auction because of the hefty pricetag on Unadkat. In the first match of the season, Unadkat was expensive and didn't justify the price. He conceded 28 runs in three overs. However, he took the solitary wicket of Saha. He would hope to justify the hefty price and overcome the immense pressure of performing.
Ben Laughlin: 2/10
The 35-year-old didn't have the most fabulous start to the season. The two overs he bowled were expensive as he conceded 20 runs in two overs.