Nitish Reddy and Travis Head produced explosive fifties to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to a competitive 201 for three against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Opting to bat, SRH opener Head made full use of an early reprieve by slamming his fourth fifty of the season with a 44-ball 58, while Nitish (76 not out in 42 balls) hit his second half-century en route a 96-run stand off 57 balls for the third wicket.
Nitish and Heinrich Klassen (42 not out off 19) added another 70 off 32 balls to take SRH across the 200-mark for the fifth time this season.
Head, who was dropped by Riyan Parag in the first ball of the innings, hit six fours and three sixes, while Nitish smashed eight maximums and three fours during his brutal assault.
Playing his 300th game, Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been picked for the T20 World Cup, was on the firing line as he was taken apart by the two batters, conceding 62 in his quota of four overs.
Avesh Khan (2/39) produced the first breakthrough, having Abhishek Sharma (12) caught at deep midwicket. Sandeep Sharma (1/31) then claimed a first-ball wicket, removing Anmolpreet Singh (5) as SRH scored 37 for 2 in the powerplay, their lowest this IPL.
The spin duo of Chahal and R Ashwin (0/36), however, disappointed as the batters milked them for runs to set SRH on the road to recovery.
Chahal had a horrible night as Head smashed him for two sixes and a four during an 18-run over after he came on to bowl immediately following the powerplay.
The leg-spinner was then taken apart by Nitish Reddy, who plundered him for two sixes and two fours to accumulate 21 runs as SRH reached 113 for 2 in 13 overs.
Nitish, who also clobbered Ashwin and Avesh for two maximums, then sent Sandeep sailing over extra cover, while Head pulled Avesh for another six in the 15th over.
The Australia, however, played the pacer onto his middle stump as SRH slipped to 131/3.
Nitish then completed his fifty in 30 balls with a single and straightaway launched Ashwin for successive maximums.
New man Klassen then joined the party, sending Chahal into the orbit with back-to-back sixes. When Boult was back, Klassen picked him for two fours, while blasting another six off Sandeep.
