Rajasthan Royals made a rousing start to the IPL's 16th season, thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs, at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Put in to bat, last season's runners-up RR got off to a flier with T20 World Cup-winning England skipper Jos Buttler smacking 54 off 22 balls.
Promising uncapped Indian Yashasvi Jaiswal made an identical 54, while skipper Sanju Samson top-scored with 55, as RR posted season's highest total of 203 for 5. In reply, the home side managed 131 for 8 in the stipulated 20 overs.
For Sunrisers Hyderabad, T. Natarajan (3-0-23-2) was the pick of the bowler and dragged the Royals back in a tidy penultimate over where he dismissed Samson and gave away just seven runs.
Left-arm Afghan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi returned with 2 for 41 from his four overs.
In reply, the home side lost two wickets without opening the account with Trent Boult inflicting the double blow in the first over en route his splendid figures of 4-1-21-2.
Thereafter, Indian wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal made hay in his 4-0-17-4 to have them reeling at 95 for 8.
Just when they looked to fold inside 100 runs, the Jammu and Kashmir duo of Adul Samad (32 not out; 32b) and Umran Malik (19 not out; 8b) produced some late fireworks to take them to a respectable 131 for 8.
Brief Scores:
Rajasthan Royals: 203 for 5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 55, Yashasvi Jaiswal 54, Jos Buttler 54; T Natarajan 2/23, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2/41) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad: 131 for 8 in 20 overs (Abdul Samad 32 not out; Yuzvendra Chahal 4/17, Trent Boult 2/21) by 72 runs.
