Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals in clinical fashion, recording a comfortable 9-wicket win.

Needing 126 to win, Hyderabad lost opener Saha early, but, led by Dhawan and Williamson, chased down the total in just 15.5 overs.

Dhawan made the most of the reprieve he received early in the innings when he was dropped by Rahane at slips. 

He then, partnered with Williamson and paced his innings nicely to help Hyderabad record their first in the opening match itself.

Kulkarni comes back into the attack.

Some movement after pitching and Dhawan lets it go.

The next one is a slower ball and Dhawan leaves it.

Dhawan then plays the ball down to mid-off for a dot.

Kulkarni doing well here as he's bowled another dot.

Poor ball, short ball and Dhawan just pulls it over mid-wicket to notch the winning runs.

Short continues and Dhawan and Williamson happy to just take the singles off the first two balls.

Dhawan then cuts it and a misfield at point allows Dhawan a run.

Williamson sweeps but cannot pierce the man at short fine leg.

Another dot to end the over and that is just 3 runs in the over. 

Hyderabad now need just 6 runs to win with 6 overs to go.

Unadkat comes back into the attack 

Williamson starts with a dot ball.

He then gets a couple to long-on.

Another dot ball later, Williamson gets two to sweeper cover.

And another one in the same area. 

Dhawan ends the over with a single to short fine leg.

Rajasthan now just 12 runs from the target.

D'Arcy Short comes into the attack, firing in his chinaman. But he starts with a short ball and Dhawan gives it the treatment. He pulls it over mid-on for a boundary.

He then gets a couple to mid-wicket.

After a couple of dot balls, Dhawan and the keeper are beaten as the ball runs to the third man boundary for a four.

Laughlin comes back into the attack.

First ball is a dot, Williamson then hares down the track for a single.

Two balls later, Dhawan gets a single. Williamson then gets a single. Batsmen happy to just take the singles and then Dhawan decides it's time for a boundary and slashed the ball through mid-off for a four.

Gopal continues and Williamson gets a single off the 2nd ball. 

Dhawan then gets a single to fine leg, the fielders appeal, the umpire says not out. Rajasthan take a review but lose it after third umpire says not out.

Next ball is a dot and then Williamson just comes down the track and hammers the ball over long-on for a boundary.

Williamson ends the over with a single to mid-wicket.

Williamson doing well to just chip in with the singles and give Dhawan the strike.

Stokes then bowls a big wide. 

He follows that up with a ball, making Dhawan play. A dot ball to end the over. 11 come off it. 

Wrist-spinner Gopal comes in to bowl, short and Dhawan just pulls it for a boundary.

Dhawan then miscues and luckily the ball falls in no man's land and he gets a single.

Williamson then gets a single down to long on for a single. 

Dhawan then plays the ball square on the leg side to end the over with a single. 7 runs come off the over.

Two balls later Dhawan takes a single.

Williamson ends the over with a lovely boundary.

Spinner Gowtham comes in to bowl and Dhawan pulls him over fine leg for a four off the 2nd ball of the over. 

He then punches the ball through the covers for a well-timed boundary.

Dhawan follows that up with a single. Williamson plays out two dot balls and 9 runs come off the over.

Unadkat continues.

Williamson, in at No 3, gets off the mark with a four. 

Two balls later, he pulls the ball over deep square leg for a six!

He then scampers through for a couple. 

What an over this is as 12 runs come off it.

Kulkarni continues.

Dhawan gets two to covers. 

Short and wide and that is a gift ball to Dhawan who just cuts it through cover point for a boundary. 

After two dot balls, Dhawan hits the first six of the match. Short and wide and Dhawan plays that over third man for a maximum! 

Kulkarni then bowls a big wide down the leg side. Dhawan plays a dot off the last ball of the over as 13 big runs come off the over.

The batsmen had crossed so Dhawan plays a dot ball before getting a boundary over the slip fielders.

He then ends the over with a single. 10 runs come off the over.

Unadkat comes in to bowl the 2nd over.

And Saha welcomes him with a boundary to backward square leg. 

Wide ball is next and Unadkat then gets the breakthrough.

Lauglin takes the catch at mid-off and Saha is gone for 5.

Saha and Dhawan open the batting for Hyderabad while Kulkarni opens the bowling for Rajasthan.

And Dhawan gets a life as Rahane drops a dolly at slips. 

Just one run comes off the over.

Kaul comes in to bowl the last over and what a job he is doing.

Unadkat comes in to bat and is gone just as soon as he is come.

Unadkat is run-out as he tries to run back for the 2nd. Good throw in from Pathan from the deep and Saha does well to dislodge the stumps and send Unadkat packing.

Rajasthan lose their 9th. 

They have barely managed to cross the 120-run mark as Kaul continues to test the batsmen.

Rajasthan lose their 8th wicket.

Bhuvi continues and Gopal gets a couple to backward point.

Kulkarni and Gopal then run a single each off the next four deliveries.

Bhuvi then bowls a wide and he gets a wicket from that extra ball bowled.

Slower ball, Gopal tries to clear long-on but can only manage to find Yousuf Pathan in the deep.

Rashid Khan continues and strikes in the over!

He has Buttler bowled for 6. 

Just two runs and a big wicket come in the over.

Bhuvi and Rashid Khan give away nine runs each. 

Kaul continues and Buttler gets a single to long-on off the 2nd ball of the over.

Here is another wicket down! Kaul gets a little extra bounce, Gowtham tries to awkwardly take evasive action but the ball takes his gloves on the way to keeper as Saha completes an easy catch.

Shreyas Gopal is the new man in and he gets off the mark off the 2nd ball he faces.

Samson is gone for 49 off 42 as the strategic timeout is called and Gowtham is the new batsman in.

Buttler takes a run off the last ball of the over as 3 runs and 2 big wickets fall in that over.

Shakib continues.

Tripathi's luck doesn't last too long as he is caught out in the deep by Manish Pandey.

The batsmen had crossed so Samson gets a single to mid-wicket.

New man in, Buttler gets off the mark with a single.

Here is another wicket!

This time it's the big wicket of Sanju Samson. Samson tries to go after the bowling, tries to clear extra cover but is dismissed after a Rashid Khan completes a beautiful, sliding catch.

Hyderabad lose a review as Kaul takes DRS over LBW off Tripathi. 

A fortunate over for Rajasthan as Tripathi gets a life, the ball just falling short of Stanlake running in from third man.

Rashid comes back into the attack. 

Samson gets a single to long-off.

Tripathi then gets a single to the on side.

Samson then gets a single to cover.

Nicely timed! Tripathi plays the ball over covers for a boundary.

He then cuts the ball late to third man for another four.

Tripathi ends the over with a single to the leg side and 12 come off the over.

Stanlake continues and Rahul Tripathi takes a single off the first ball.

Samson then gets a single to long-on.

Swing and a miss and a sigh from fans in the stadium!

Again Stanlake makes Tripathi fish for the ball.

The batsman then plays the ball to backward point and hares down the pitch for a single.

Samson ends the over with a single down to third man and four runs come off the over. 

Shakib comes back into the attack and the batsmen take 8 off him as they get the singles and twos.

Stanlake comes back into the attack.

Stokes and Samson keep the scoreboard ticking with singles and twos as the boundaries are not coming now.

And the frustration is shown and Stokes is gone!

Stokes tries to go after the bowling, only to send the ball in the direction of captain Williamson at long-on, who completes the catch on second attempt after the ball nearly bobbles out of his palms.

Stokes gone for 5 and Rajasthan are looking in trouble, 6 runs and a wicket come in the over and the umpires call for strategic timeout.

Ben Stokes is the new batsman in and he has been tested by leggie Rashid Khan.

Stokes gets off the mark with a single and that is the only run that comes in the over.

8 runs and a wicket come in that Kaul over.

Siddharth Kaul comes into the attack and gets the 2nd breakthrough.

He gets the important wicket of Rahane, even though Samson continues to take the bowling to the cleaners. 

Shakib continues and Samson plays a dot before going after the bowler.

He comes down the track and gets a boundary on the on side.

Two balls later, Samson gets a single to long-on.

Rahane gets hit on the pad and an appeal is made, but the umpire is not interested while the batsmen run down for a single.

Last ball of the over and Samson pulls the ball to deep mid-wicket and he gets a single.

Stanlake back in the attack and starts with a low full toss, Rahane puts it down to fine leg for a couple.

Rahane then cuts the ball through point for a boundary.

Rahane then gets a single down to third man.

Stanlake then bowls a bouncer, wide called.

Samson then plays the ball down to square leg for  a couple.

It's a nice full ball and Samson gets a boundary to backward point.

Samson ends the over with a single to third man as he takes 14 runs off the over.

Sanju Samson comes in to bat at No 3 and takes strike as Billy Stanlake starts the 2nd over.

The ball is swinging and Samson is tempted, he plays and misses.

Samson gets off the mark with a couple down to fine leg.

Stanlake gets sone bounce and Samson tries to hammer it, but gets no connection.

Samson then plays a nicely-timed shot down to mid-wicket to end the over with three runs.

Williamson orchestrates a brilliant run-out -- a direct hit -- to have Rajasthan a wicket down in the first over.

Bhuvi opens the bowling for Hyderabad as Ajinkya Rahane and D'Arcy Short open the batting for Rajasthan Royals.

Rahane opens his account off the second ball as he plays it down to third man to get off the mark.

Short then plays the ball square on the leg side for no run.

Bhuvi then bowls a wide down the leg side and then Short gets underway , whipping the ball through his pads, down to square leg for a boundary.

After a dot ball, Short plays the ball straight down the ground and runs down the pitch, but finds himself short of the crease. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to field first against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on Monday.

Willliamson and Rahane will lead the teams in the absence of regular captains Warner and Smith, after they were barred from the IPL following their roles in the ball-tampering saga in the 3rd Test vs SA last and the consequent bans imposed on them by CA. 

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