Sunrisers Hyderabad won their second straight game of IPL 2019, defeating a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore by 118 runs. Winning the toss, RCB skipper Virat Kohli asked SRH to bat first on a placid pitch. SRH openers capitalised and helped their team get a massive 231/2 in 20 overs. Chasing the target, RCB struggled with only four batsmen getting to double figures.
Here are the three takeaways from the match.
Bonding before Ashes
Australian David Warner continued his great form and his opening partnership with England's Jonny Bairstow as they put on 185 runs for the first wicket. Both the openers ended up scoring 100s with Bairstow getting it in only his third IPL innings.
Warner scored an unbeaten 100 off 55 deliveries, taking the 'orange cap' from Andre Russell with 254 runs from three innings. Bairstow scored 114 off 56 deliveries before being removed by Yuzvendra Chahal.
It was a rare occasion to see an Australian and an Englishman embrace each other in the same year when they will be pitted against each other in the Ashes.
If the openers keep giving SRH such starts, they can look for big scores in the upcoming matches.
Mohammad Nabi spins the web
Afghanistan's Nabi claimed 4/11 from his four overs. His most-prized scalp was that of the dangerous AB de Villiers who was bowled through the gates. Sharing the new ball with skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he also removed openers Parthiv Patel and Shimron Hetmyer.
With RCB struggling at 35/5, Nabi put another nail to the coffin by getting Indian youngster Shivam Dube's wicket. Interestingly, his countryman Rashid Khan, who is one of the top T20 bowlers in the world, was not among the wickets.
With such top-performing foreign players in the line-up, SRH looks like a side to beat in this years' edition.
RCB's woes continue
RCB are still searching for a win in this year's IPL. Virat Kohli has been at the end of such embarrassing defeats, losing the first one by seven wickets to CSK where the pitch came under the scanner. In their second game against Mumbai Indians, Malinga's last ball no-ball which went unnoticed made Kohli furious.
Looking to make amends today, RCB were first thrashed by the SRH openers with the youngest IPL debutant Prayas Barman going for 56 runs off his four overs.
It was an embarrassing chase for the visitors, as they were reduced to 35/6 before Colin de Grandhomme saved them from some embarrassment scoring 37 off 32 deliveries and reducing the margin of loss.