IPL 2021: Top 3 batting performances in SRH vs RCB matches
It will be David Warner vs Virat Kohli when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the sixth match of IPL 2021 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai tonight (April 14).
Both teams go into the contest with contrasting fortunes. SRH went down to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by ten runs in their tournament opener, as both their batting and bowling failed to deliver. Meanwhile, RCB were successful in kicking off their campaign on a winning note, beating Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a nail-biter.
In terms of their head-to-head record with RCB, SRH have a slight lead. They have won ten of 18 matches against RCB, while one game did not produce a result.
Last season, SRH won two of their three games against RCB, including the Eliminator. As the teams prepare to meet again in IPL 2021, let's have a look at three standout batting performances in SRH vs KKR matches.
#3 David Warner (SRH) 92 off 50 balls - IPL 2016 (in Hyderabad)
2016 was the year of Sunrisers Hyderabad, David Warner and Virat Kohli. SRH were crowned champions that season; Warner led from the front with the bat, amassing 848 runs. Kohli dominated the charts with 973 runs, but RCB went down to SRH in the final.
Earlier in the tournament, SRH and RCB clashed in Hyderabad, where Warner asserted his dominance over Bangalore’s bowlers. RCB invited SRH to bat first after winning the toss, and Warner tore into them.
Whacking the RCB bowlers to all parts of the ground, Warner scored a high-quality 92 off only 50 deliveries. The knock featured nine fours and as many as five hits over the fence. Kane Richardson was taken for 45 in his four overs, while left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi conceded 39.
Warner holed out eight short of a hundred, though. Kane Williamson (50 off 38) and Moises Henriques (31 not out off 14) kept up the momentum provided by the SRH captain, taking the team to 194 for 5.
RCB put up a valiant chase but lost by 15 runs. After Virat Kohli endured a rare failure, falling for 14, KL Rahul (51 off 28) and AB de Villiers (47 off 32) kept the team’s hopes alive. Both, however, fell with the target some distance away.
In the end, despite Kedar Jadhav’s cameo of 25 not out off 15 balls, RCB fell short of their finish line.
#2 Virat Kohli (RCB) 93 not out off 47 balls - IPL 2013 (in Bengaluru)
One has lost count of the number of memorable knocks RCB captain Virat Kohli has played for the franchise over the years.
Just like in international cricket, Kohli has a stunning record in the IPL as well, scoring almost 6000 runs (5911) in 193 games, with five hundreds and 39 fifties.
Suffice to say, Kohli loves chasing down targets in the IPL too. The master was at work against SRH in Bengaluru when the teams met in the 2013 edition of the competition.
SRH set RCB 162 to win the contest, and Kohli took the team home in a methodical fashion.
He scored a fluent 93 not out off only 47 balls, smashing 11 fours and four sixes.
It was a one-man show from Kohli in the chase, as RCB kept losing wickets at the other end. Mayank Agarwal fell for 29, while Chris Gayle made 13 and De Villiers 15.
While Dale Steyn conceded only 16 in his four overs for SRH, Amit Mishra was hammered for 42 in his four, and Thisara Perera was taken for 35 in his three. RCB got home easily in 17.4 overs as SRH bowlers did not have enough to defend.
#1 Jonny Bairstow (SRH) 114 off 56 balls - IPL 2019 (in Hyderabad)
SRH openers Jonny Bairstow and David Warner formed a sensational opening pair for the franchise in IPL 2019.
In a match against RCB in Hyderabad, they shattered a few records. The Bairstow-Warner combo registered their third straight opening century stand as well as the highest-ever opening partnership (185) in IPL history.
Bairstow blazed away to an imperious 114 off only 56 balls, a sizzling knock punctuated with 12 fours and seven sixes. In a show of complete dominance from Bairstow, the SRH opener finished with a strike rate of 203.57. He was eventually dismissed in the 17th over, looking to take on Yuzvendra Chahal.
Both Bairstow and Warner took the RCB attack to the cleaners during their sensational partnership. After Bairstow was dismissed, Warner also went on to register three figures. He was unbeaten on exactly 100 off 55 balls.
Thanks to the exploits of Jonny Bairstow and David Warner, SRH ended up scoring an imposing 231 for 2. Mohammad Nabi’s 4 for 11 and Sandeep Sharma’s 3 for 19 then helped SRH restrict RCB to a paltry 113.