IPL 2020: RR vs SRH, Match 40, Highlights: Sunrisers Hyderabad clinch comfortable eight-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals

Bengaluru, Oct. 22: A superb third-wicket partnership between Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar saw the Sunrisers Hyderabad clinch a comfortably eight-wicket win over the Rajasthan Royals in match number 40 of the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday.

In a must-win tie, the Sunrisers Hyderabad won their first match chasing this season as they collected two important points to keep their playoff chances alive.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Jason Holder led the Sunrisers bowling attack as they restricted the Royals to 154/6.

Playing in his first match for the Sunrisers this season, Holder picked up a three-wicket scalp as the Royals failed to build partnerships to put up a strong total.

Having restricted the Rajasthan team, the Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down the target with 11 balls to spare.

Chasing 154, the Hyderabad openers did not hand them the ideal start, as Jofra Archer picked up a wicket in the first over. Archer once again removed David Warner and the SRH went back to the dugout for just 4 off 4.

The lethal opening pair of Warner-Jonny Bairstow failed to trouble the Royals bowlers as Archer struck in his second over to remove Bairstow for 10 off 7.

But from thereon, the game belonged to the Sunrisers as Manish Pandey remained unbeaten with a scintillating 83 off 47. Vijay Shankar played a supporting role as he scored a patient 52 off 51. The duo stitched together the highest third-wicket partnership off 140 off 93 to hand Sunrisers an important win.

Earlier, after being put into bat the Royals batting line-up came undone as Holder shined in his debut match.

Holder, who came in for the injured Kane Williamson, impressed in his first match for the Hyderabad team.

Vijay Shankar and Rashid Khan picked up a wicket a piece as the Rajasthan batsmen found it tough to cross the boundary ropes. The Royals failed to put up partnerships. The highest partnership on the evening was between Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson.

Uthappa, Stokes opened the proceedings for the Royals and the duo handed Rajasthan a strong start. A 30-run partnership came off the opening stand, before Uthappa (19 off 13) was run out by a direct throw from Holder off his own delivery.

Stokes, Samson rebuilt the Royals innings with a 56-run stand off 49 deliveries. But Holder struck once again to remove Samson and put the pressure on the Royals batsmen.

With Buttler coming in way late, the England player along with skipper Smith weren’t able to do much damage as the Sunrisers bowlers kept Rajasthan in check.

With the win the Sunrisers Hyderabad climbed to the fifth spot on the table with eight points from ten matches. Meanwhile the Rajasthan Royals’ season is all but over as they lie seventh on the table, with eight points from 11 matches.

An all-round effort saw the Sunrisers pick up two important points as they registered their fourth win of the season.