On Monday, South Africa's veteran AB de Villiers scored a quick half-century while Royal Challengers Bangalore started their Indian Premier League Twenty20 campaign with a victory over Sunrises Hyderabad.
De Villiers scored 51 runs in 30
deliveries last year to lead the wooden spoon Bangalore, captained by Virat
Kohli, to 163 for five and a 10-run victory in Dubai.
Bangalore-led league spinner Yuzwinder
Chahal led Hyderabad to 153 despite Johnny Bairstow's 61.
"It's amazing and last year we were
on the other side of the results," said Kohli, who was delighted with the
post-match presentation.
"We had our composer tonight. Yuzi
(Chahal) came and changed the game for us."
Hyderabad, led by David Warner, were
bowled out’ for 121 for two in 19.4 overs. Kohli knocked Dale Steyn out of a
great outfield catch.
De Villiers made his 34th fifty in the IPL
after losing to Kohli by 14 runs and the highest scorer of the innings, Devdutt
Padikkal scored 56 runs in the first position in the IPL.
De Villiers, 36, took his fence count to
201 for Bangalore to break the boundaries and two sixes, still looking for his
first IPL title.
"It's a good chance to be on the
right side of a close game at the start of the season. We worked hard to
win," de Villiers said.
"It's a great start for us and
hopefully a good sign of things to come. I surprised myself, to be honest."
Chahal returned an impressive 3-18 from
his four-over league spin while fast bowlers Navdeep Saini and Shivam Dube took
two wickets each.
Hyderabad-based Australian fast bowler
Mitchell Marsh injured his ankle while bowling his first over and limped off
the ground after sending just four deliveries.
Warner said Marsh's injury did not look
good because the all-rounder was unable to "put any weight on his
leg".
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