Images from the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Delhi, on Sunday.
A superb hundred by Jos Buttler, followed by fine bowling later, earned Rajasthan Royals a 55-run victory over SunRisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League match, in Delhi, on Sunday.
The England batsman registered his first Twenty20 hundred to guide Rajasthan Royals to 220 for 3 before a fine bowling performance restricted the SunRisers to 165 for 8, Mustafizur Rahman (3/20) and Chris Morris (3/29) snaring three wickets each.
The victory took Rajasthan Royals to fifth place in the eight-team league while SunRisers Hyderabad stayed put at the bottom after just one victory this season.
Buttler, the fourth England player to score an IPL hundred -- after Kevin Pietersen, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow -- hammered eight sixes and 11 fours in a magnificent 124 off 64 balls as the Royals put up a solid total after being asked to bat first.
Skipper Sanju Samson scored a gutsy 48 off 33 balls and Riyan Parag played a useful cameo, scoring 15 runs off eight balls, to enable Rajasthan Royals raise the momentum after a sedate start that saw them labour to 86 for 1 at the halfway stage.
Afghan spinner Rashid Khan, with figures of 1 for 24 in his four overs, was the most economical SunRisers bowler even as Sandeep Sharma (1-50) and Vijay Shankar (1-42 off three overs), were taken to the cleaners.
SunRisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bowl.
Their former captain and opener David Warner was dropped from the playing eleven and replaced by Mohammed Nabi.
They received a huge boost as Bhuvneshwar Kumar regained his fitness and returned to the team along with Abdul Samad. They took the places of Jagadeesha Suchith and Siddharth Kaul.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals made a couple of changes; young pacer Kartik Tyagi replaced Jaydev Unadkat and wicketkeeper-batsman Anuj Rawat came in place of Shivam Dube and made his debut for the side.
Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting for the Royals, while Bhuvneshwar started off with the ball for SRH.
After restricting the Royals to just five from the first two overs, spin was introduced early as leg-spinner Rashid Khan came into the attack to bowl the third over.
After losing the review for LBW against Jaiswal early in the over, Rashid got his man with the final delivery, trapping Jaiswal LBW for 12.
The left-hander tried to hit over the leg side, missed the straight ball and was struck plumb in front.
It was the Afghanistan spinner's 22nd LBW wicket in the IPL, the most by any bowler in the T20 league.
Jaiswal scored 12 off 13 balls, including two fours.
Sanju Samson came in and hit Khaleel Ahmed for a six while Buttler got a four as the Royals took 12 runs from the fourth over.
With Rashid keeping it tight, they were restricted to 42 for 1 after the powerplay overs.
The introduction of Vijay Shankar opened the flood gates as 18 runs came from the seventh over, Buttler and Samson hitting the medium pacer for a six to take Rajasthan Royals to 60 for 1.
The next over saw Buttler and Samson bring up a 50-run partnership. The pair continued to exert caution with aggression and took the team to 86 for 1 at the halfway stage.
Runs came slowly before Buttler registered his 12th IPL fifty in the 17th over. Sandeep Sharma conceded 17 from it as the Royals reached 111 for 1. Buttler was batting on 57 off 42 balls while Samson was on 33 off 23.
Samson then hit Khaleel for a four off the third delivery of the 13th over to bring up the 100-partnership between the two.
Mohammad Nabi, who was introduced in the 15 over, was hammered by Buttler for two fours and as many sixes as 21 runs came from the over and the Royals raced to 146 for 1. Buttler was on 84 off 20 and Samson on 41 off 27.
However, Vijay Shankar, after having conceded 18 runs in his first over, returned to the attack in the 17th over and had Samson caught by Abdul Samad at long-off for 48 off 33 balls, which included 4 fours and 2 sixes.
Rajasthan Royals were reduced to 167 for 2.
Two deliveries later Buttler posted his first IPL hundred, off 56 balls. Rajasthan were 172 for 2 after 17.
Buttler then went on the rampage in the 19th over, hitting Sandeep Sharma for a 6, 4, no-ball 6, and another 6 before getting an inside edge onto his stumps off the last delivery. He was out for 124 off 64 balls, which included 11 fours and 8 sixes.
Rajasthan were 209 for 9 going into the final over. David Miller hit a six off the last delivery to enable them finish with 222 for-3.
11 runs came from the over. Riyan Parag was unbeaten on 15 off 8 balls.
Manish Pandey and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings for SunRisers while young pacer Kartik Tyagi, playing his first match in IPL 2021, got the bowling underway for Rajasthan Royals.
After getting just 14 from the first three overs, Bairstow opened up and hit Chetan Sakariya for 16 runs in the fourth to take SunRisers to 30 without loss.
Pandey then hit Tyagi for two massive sixes in the next over to get 16 runs from it and SRH were 46-0 after 5.
Chris Morris came into the attack next and he too was clubbed for two fours, as SRH for 11 runs ended the powerplay on 56 without loss.
But just when the two opener were stepping up the scoring Mustafizur Rahman, who conceded just six runs in his first over, returned to the attack and struck, having Pandey bowled.
The batsman tried to hit it down the on-side but did not connect the slower delivery cleanly and saw the ball hit his pad and roll onto the middle stump.
Pandey was out for 31 off 20 balls, which included 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Just nine runs were added to the total before Rahul Tewatia had Bairstow caught by Anuj Rawat.
The leg-spinner tossed up a wide devilvery and Bairstow sent a cross-batted sweep to long-on, where Rawat ran in and took the catch.
Bairstow was out for 30 off 21 balls, which included 4 fours and a 6, as SRH were reduced too 70 for 2 after eight overs.
Tewatia then conceded just eight runs off the tenth over to resgtrict the SunRisers to 82 for 2 at the halfway stage.
The SunRisers lost another wicket in the next over when Morris had Shankar caught by David Miller. Shankar tried to pull a delivery that lacked pace and mishit it to Miller, who ran forward from long-on and took the dolly. Shankar was out for 8 off 8 balls and SRH 85 for 3 in the 11th over.
The SunRisers' slide continued as Kartik Tyagi took the big wicket of Kane Williamson. The SunRisers captain captain pulled a slower ball from Tyagi but lacked the power behind it and Morris took an easy catch at deep mid-wicket. Williamson was out for 20 off 21 balls and SunRisers were reeling at 105 for 4 in the 13th over.
Will defeat looming, Kedar Jadhav and Mohammed Nabi went on the attack. Nabi hit Tweatia for two sixes as 17 runs were garnered from the 14th over.
However, Mustafizur ended Nabi's fight, having him caught by Anuj Rawat for his second wicket.
Nabi scored 17 off only 5 balls, which included a four and 2 sixes, as SRH were reduced to 127 for 5 in the 15th over.
At the end of the 16th over SunRisers needed 81 runs from 24 balls, with Jadhav (18) and Abdul Samad (10) at the crease.
But Morris dismissed Samad (10) and Jadhav for 19, Mustafizur dismissed Rashid to end the contest.
Morris finished with 3 for 29 and Mustafizur 3 for 2 as the SunRisers were restricted to 165 for 8.
