IPL: Sunrisers set Royal Challengers a formidable target of 209

Bengaluru, May 29 (IANS) Sunrisers Hyderabad set a formidable target of 209 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final on Sunday at Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

Propelled by captain David Warner (69), Ben Cutting (39) and Yuvraj Singh (38), Surisers scored 208/7 in 20 overs.

Opening the innings with Shikar Dhawan, Warner started off slowly but then began scoring quick runs in a 38-ball-69, which included eight fours and three sixes.

Dhawan (28) and Warner played carefully, saving wickets until the seventh over when Dhawan got out to a long sweep shot at the boundary line, caught by Chris Jordan off Yuzvendra Chalal, and Warner, who had frustrated RCB for a long time, gave a simple catch straight to Kohli in the 14th over off Sreenath Arvind.

They posted a 69 run partnership off 40 balls to lay the foundation of the big score after Warner won the toss and chose to bat first.

Though Deepak Hooda (3), Moises Henriques (4) and Naman Ojha failed with the bat, big hitting Yuvraj Singh and Cutting rose to the occasion in the middle and final overs respectively.

With four fours and two sixes, Yuvraj looked set for a big score, until he was caught by Watson off Chris Jordan.

It was however Cutting who gave nightmare moments to Royal Challengers in the final overs, when he smashed 39 runs which included four sixes and three fours of just 15 balls.

In the last over off Watson, Cutting plundered 24 runs, hitting three sixes and a four. One of his huge sixes went over the roof, needing a new ball to be brought in.

Though Royal Challengers looked good with the ball in the beginning, they gave away too many runs in the final overs. In the last 42 balls, RCB leaked 82 runs while claiming five wickets.

Aravind produced the best bowling with 2/30 while Jordan claimed three wickets but proved costly with an economy rate of 11.25.

Chahal (1/35) was the only other bowler to claim a wicket with the Royal Challengers gave away 20 extras.

Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 208/7 in 20 overs (David Warner 69, Ben Cutting 39; Chris Jordan 3/45, Sreenath Aravind 2/30).

--IANS

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