It was not the type of return Rajasthan Royals were hoping for in the Indian Premier League. Back after two years, they lost their first game by nine wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
For the most part of the game, the Royals looked out of the contest. Sent in to bat first, they lost wickets at regular intervals. As a result, they managed to put up only 125 for 9 in the allotted 20 overs. In reply, the Sunrisers chased down the total inside 16 overs by losing just one wicket.
Speaking after the game, Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane rued the lack of partnerships during the game.
“I think, first of all, we thought on this wicket, 150-160 would’ve been an ideal total because the ball was doing a bit and the medium pacers had good help on this wicket,” Rahane said at the post-match press conference.
“But we didn’t get that one partnership. We lost crucial wickets in between.”
The Royals’ innings was derailed when they lost Rahane and Ben Stokes in space of 14 balls. From 52 for 1, they could only post 125 for nine.
“Getting a good start in the first six overs, that was the key, and we got that,”
Rahane added.“Six overs and we were close to 50 with one wicket down. But as I mentioned, we lost crucial wickets in the middle overs,” Rahane said.
“I always believed that it was a wicket where one big partnership or (if) one set batsman can bat through the innings that really would’ve helped,” Rahane added.
None of Royals’ overseas players – D’Arcy Short, Stokes, Jos Buttler and Ben Laughlin – fired. However, Rahane was quick to leap to their defence.
“D’Arcy Short did really well in the Big Bash, even for Australia recently, Jos Butler and Stokes we all know how dangerous they are, Ben Laughlin is an experienced bowler in T20 cricket and did well in the Big Bash in Australia,” he said.
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