Duffy, batters bury Sunrisers as RCB kickstart title defence in style

A complete performance kickstarted the defending champions' title defence. After Sunrisers Hyderabad were restricted to 201 for 9 on a surface that had more runs on offer, Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased it down with ease, reaching the target in just 15.4 overs with six wickets to spare. Debutant Jacob Duffy set the tone with early strikes, before Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar ensured the chase was a formality.

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Brief scores: SRH 201/9 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 80 (38), Aniket Verma 43 (18); Jacob Duffy 3-22, Romario Shepherd 3-54) lost to RCB 203/4 in 15.4 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 61 (26), Virat Kohli 69* (38); David Payne 2-35) by 6 wickets.

Duffy, who ensured Josh Hazlewood's absence wasn't felt. Sunrisers were reduced to 29 for 3 after being asked to bat, with Duffy dismantling the top order. He removed Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head in the same over and also cut short Nitish Kumar Reddy's stay. The short ball proved particularly effective for the New Zealand pacer, who finished his spell by the end of the seventh over with figures of 3 for 22, including 13 dot balls. His burst effectively denied SRH the kind of start that could have added another 40-50 runs to their total.

Thanks to stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan's blistering 38-ball 80, his 97-run stand with Heinrich Klaasen, and a stirring cameo from Aniket Verma, who struck 43 off just 18 deliveries. Kishan took apart the RCB spinners, hitting two sixes off Krunal Pandya and four fours off Suyash Sharma. Debutant Abhinandan Singh bore the brunt of the assault, conceding 30 runs, although he eventually dismissed Kishan.

SRH were 155 for 6 after 16 overs when Kishan fell, but Aniket kept the momentum going despite wickets tumbling at the other end. His standout moment came against Romario Shepherd, from whom he plundered 24 runs, including three sixes, before eventually falling to the same bowler.

They missed him, particularly given the start RCB made. Although Phil Salt couldn't convert his fielding impact into runs, there was no shortage of firepower as Padikkal launched an immediate assault. By the end of the powerplay, RCB had raced to 76 for 1, with Padikkal contributing 46 off 17 balls.

He brought up a 21-ball fifty - the second-fastest for RCB against SRH - as the team reached 100 in just 8.1 overs. A century stand followed, with Padikkal continuing to find the boundary at will before falling to Harsh Dubey. The momentum, however, remained firmly with RCB, who were 126 for 2 after 10 overs.

What he so often does in chases: control the tempo, pick his moments, and deflate the opposition. Kohli made 30 off 19 in a 101-run stand with Padikkal and also got a reprieve through a dropped chance from Klaasen. In Kohli's 53-run partnership with Rajat Patidar, it was again the RCB skipper who took on the aggressor's role. Finally, in a 40-run stand with Tim David, Kohli laid the finishing touches to the chase as the veteran batter finished with five fours and as many sixes, striking at 181.58 in a typical Kohli innings.

Phil Salt's catching. He first took a straightforward catch at deep backward square leg to dismiss Head. He then followed it up with a tumbling effort near the deep midwicket boundary - one that required third-umpire confirmation - to remove Klaasen, who appeared unconvinced. The standout, though, was a one-handed stunner near the point boundary to dismiss a dangerous-looking Kishan, a grab that evoked memories of AB de Villiers at his acrobatic best.

RCB have a lengthy break before they host Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy stadium next Sunday (April 5). SRH head to Kolkata to take on the Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Thursday (April 2).