Sunrisers Hyderabad thrash Rajasthan Royals by 57 runs

KATHMANDU: Sunrisers Hyderabad delivered a commanding all-round performance to defeat Rajasthan Royals by 57 runs in the Indian Premier League, handing Rajasthan their first loss of the season.

Chasing a formidable target of 217, Rajasthan were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs after a dramatic top-order collapse.

The foundation of Hyderabad’s victory was laid by Ishan Kishan, who produced a scintillating 91 off just 44 balls, striking eight fours and six sixes. He was well supported by Heinrich Klaasen, who added a brisk 40 from 26 deliveries.

Contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy (28), Travis Head (18), and an unbeaten 24 from Salil Arora helped Hyderabad post an imposing total.

Rajasthan’s chase never truly recovered after a devastating opening spell from debutant Praful Hinge. The 24-year-old from Vidarbha made an extraordinary start to his IPL career, claiming three wickets in his very first over — a feat never before achieved in the tournament’s 18-year history.

Hinge dismissed Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a golden duck before bowling the in-form Dhruv Jurel on the very next delivery. He capped off a remarkable over by removing Lhuan-dre Pretorius, leaving Rajasthan in deep trouble.

Fellow debutant Sakib Hussain complemented the effort with an impressive four-wicket haul, as Rajasthan slumped to 5 for 4 and soon after 9 for 5, effectively ending the contest within the powerplay.

Despite a spirited fightback from Donovan Ferreira, who struck 69 off 44 balls, and Ravindra Jadeja, who contributed 45, the deficit proved too large. Tushar Deshpande added 25, but the lower order could not sustain the recovery.

England pacer Jofra Archer was among the wickets for Rajasthan, taking two, but the damage had already been done.

The match ultimately belonged to Hyderabad’s young debutants, whose combined eight wickets dismantled Rajasthan’s batting line-up and secured a much-needed victory after two consecutive defeats.