Rajasthan clinch 4-wicket thriller against Hyderabad in IPL 7

Rajasthan won the toss and elected to bowl against Hyderabad

Welcome to the coverage of the Indian Premier League 2014, Match 4 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals from the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Rajasthan Royals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by four wickets with three balls to spare at the Sheikh Zayed stadium. Steyn pats Binny on the head, nice little moment there. Rajasthan seemed to have no answers to the prowess of Steyn, Bhuvneshwar and Ishant with the new ball. They lost three wickets early, Rahane looked scratchy, but he and Binny started to repair the early damage. Rahane fell after getting to his fifty, Rajasthan lost a bit of momentum towards the end but Binny ensured that he stayed until the end. Hyderabad fought hard on the field, but they just did not have a big score to defend.

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Faulkner finishes the match for #RR. They win by 4 wickets. A tough loss for @SunRisers #SRHvsRR #OrangeArmy #PepsiIPL WHSmith India (@WHSmithIndia) April 18, 2014

Rajasthan have FINALLY WON it after numerous HIGHS & LOWS in the game!!

19.3 overs: FOUR!! James Faulkner takes it on the full and slices it towards deep point fence for a boundary. Faulkner SCORES THE WINNING RUNS for Rajasthan!!

Rajasthan Royals are JUST A STROKE AWAY from victory!!

19.2 overs: FOUR!! James Faulkner leans into the drive and drills it through extra cover for a boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will bowl the FINAL OVER for Hyderabad.

Rajasthan require another eight runs off six balls with four wickets in hand.

NINE RUNS off the over!!

18.4 overs: FOUR!! Stuart Binny goes on the backfoot and crashes the cut past point for a blazing boundary. Binny KEEPS THEM COMING!!

James Faulkner comes to the crease for Rajasthan.

18.3 overs: OUT!! Dale Steyn has got Rajat Bhatia out caught at long-on. Bhatia was looking to clear the fielder but fails to pick the slower delivery only to send it towards Aaron Fnch who takes a brilliant catch diving forward. Rajat Bhatia departs after scoring four runs off three balls with a boundary. Another one BITES THE DUST!!

18.1 overs: FOUR!! Rajat Bhatia hangs back and clips it towards long leg for a boundary.

Rajasthan Royals require another 17 runs off 12 balls with five wickets in hand.

SEVEN RUNS off the over!!

17.5 overs: FOUR!! Stuart Binny waits for it and flays the sweep to collect a boundary. CRUCIAL RUNS for Rajasthan!!

Rajat Bhatia comes to the crease for Rajasthan.

Hyderabad MAKING A COMEBACK here?

17.4 overs: That's OUT!! Amit Mishra has got Brad Hodge out caught at deep midwicket. Hodge was looking to go wide of the fielder but mistimes it towards Darren Sammy for a simple catch. Brad Hodge departs after scoring just one run. BIG BLOW for Rajasthan!!

With Brad Hodge(0) and Stuart Binny(34) at the crease, Rajasthan Royals are currently at 108/4 after 16 overs.

SIX RUNS off the over!!

Brad Hodge comes to the crease for Rajasthan Royals.

15.6 overs: OUT!! Amit Mishra has got Ajinkya Rahane out caught at long-off. Rahane was looking for the big shot but fails to time it well as the ball goes straight into the hands of Aaron Finch for a simple catch. Ajinkya Rahane departs after scoring 59 runs off 53 balls with six boundaries. Is there a TWIST IN THE TALE here?

14.2 overs: FOUR!! Ajinkya Rahane leans forward and sends it scurrying through extra cover for a boundary. Rajasthan are GETTING CRUCIAL BOUNDARIES here!!

Rahane edgy but adding valuable runs #SRHvsRR #IPL7 #smallscore hard to chase Harishkumar Vaidyar (@hvk_4982) April 18, 2014

14.1 overs: FOUR!! Ajinkya Rahane goes for the drive and gets an outside edge through slip cordon for a boundary. Rajasthan WON'T MIND that!!

13.6 overs: FOUR!! Stuart Binny makes room and slaps it over covers for a boundary. That was BEAUTIFULLY TIMED by Binny!!

With Ajinkya Rahane(41) and Stuart Binny(19) at the crease, Rajasthan Royals are currently at 75/3 after 12 overs.

@ImIshant bowling breathing fire for @SunRisers today. He made a mess of Jinxy's helmet. #SRHvsRR pic.twitter.com/XRdEP7lSBd Cricket Fantasy (@Cricket_Fantasy) April 18, 2014

10.2 overs: FOUR!! Ajinkya Rahane bends down and sweeps it towards long leg for a boundary.

Probably the best bowling attack till date in @IPL history!! @DaleSteyn62 @ImIshant @MishiAmit @BhuviOfficial @darrensammy88 #SRH #SRHvsRR Meet Nathwani (@NathwaniMeet) April 18, 2014

TWELVE RUNS off the over!!

9.6 overs: FOUR!! Stuart Binny goes on the backfoot and pulls it with disdain for a boundary. CLEAN STRIKE that from Binny!!

9.4 overs: SIX!! Stuart Binny rocks back and smokes it towards deep midwicket for the maximum. That one JUST LANDED on the fence!!

With Ajinkya Rahane(26) and Stuart Binny(3) at the crease, Rajasthan Royals are currently at 43/3 after eight overs.

Low scoring games are equally interesting as high scoring :-) #SRH showing their strength against the #RR :-) #GoodBattle #PepsiIPL #SRHvsRR D'Joe Philip ??? (@djoephilip) April 18, 2014

SIX RUNS off the over!!

6.6 overs: FOUR!! Ajinkya Rahane reaches out and swats it over point for a boundary. POOR LINE from Ishant there!!

Stuart Binny comes to the crease for Rajasthan Royals.

Ishant Sharma is ALL PUMPED UP!!

6.2 overs: That's OUT!! Ishant Sharma has got Shane Watson out caught by the wicket-keeper. Watson was looking to push at it but gets a thin edge through to Lokesh Rahul behind the stumps. Shane Watson departs after scoring just three runs off seven balls. BIG BLOW for Rajasthan!!

With Ajinkya Rahane(18) and Shane Watson(2) at the crease, Rajasthan Royals are currently at 28/2 after five overs.

4.4 overs: FOUR!! Ajinkya Rahane hangs back and hoicks it over the in-field for a boundary.

First change, Ishant Sharma comes into the attack for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Bhuvi, the way he bowled surely deserves another wicket. Superb swing bowling #SRHvsRR Kishore (@kishoregubburi) April 18, 2014

SIX RUNS off the over!!

3.6 overs: CATCH-DROPPED!! Aaron Finch has dropped Ajinkya Rahane at first slip. Rahane pushes at it and gets an outside edge through to Finch who was a tad too late to react. That was a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY for Hyderabad to rattle Royals!!

Shane Watson comes to the crease for Rajasthan.

3.3 overs: OUT!! Bhuvneshwar Kumar has got Sanju Samson out caught at mid-off. Samson was looking to go over the fielder but sends it straight into the hands of Shikhar Dhawan for a simple catch. Sanju Samson departs after scoring three runs off nine balls. Another BLOW for Rajasthan!!

With Ajinkya Rahane(7) and Sanju Samson(2) at the crease, Rajasthan Royals are currently at 13/1 after three overs.

SIX RUNS off the over!!

can somebody allow steyn to bowl 10 overs please ? #SRHvsRR :P Ms Know-It-All (@Silly_CrazyLove) April 18, 2014

1.2 overs: FOUR!! Ajinkya Rahane goes on the backfoot and flicks it through midwicket for a boundary. That was EFFORTLESS from Rahane!!

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will bowl from the other end for Hyderabad.

EXCELLENT START by Steyn, an early breakthrough and just four runs off it!!

Sanju Samson comes to the crease for Rajasthan Royals.

Dale Steyn STRIKES IN HIS FIRST OVER for Hyderabad!!

0.3 overs: That's OUT!! Dale Steyn has got Abhishek Nayar out lbw on a back of a length delivery. Nayar was looking to work it towards the on-side but gets hit on the pads in front of the stumps. Abhishek Nayar departs after scoring four runs off three balls with a boundary. EARLY BLOW for Rajasthan!!

0.1 overs: FOUR!! Abhishek Nayar leans into the drive and caresses it through extra cover for the first boundary in the innings. That was ELEGANT from Nayar!!

Ajinkya Rahane and Abhishek Nayar are out in the middle for Rajasthan Royals while Dale Steyn will start the proceedings for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Sunrisers Hyderabad scored a paltry total of 133 runs at the loss of six wickets against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed stadium.The wicket of Finch in the very first over hurt them badly and their innings never got going. Dhawan and Warner hung around but couldn't make significant contributions as the Rajasthan bowlers were clever enough to take pace off the ball. Hopes were pinned on Sammy for a big score but he too perished cheaply. Venugopal Rao hit a couple of crucial blows to push Hyderabad past 130. Bhatia continued the good work done by Kulkarni and Richardson with the new ball. All three bagged two wickets each and its upto their batsmen now.

not enough runs on the board 4 @SunRisers they'll have to bowl well to make a match out of it #SRHvsRR @IPL7Cup #IPL7 #cricket omer riaz (@omerkhawaja712) April 18, 2014

That's the END OF INNINGS for Hyderabad!!

19.6 overs: BYES!! Venugopal Rao fails to touch the wide yorker and steals a single.

Dale Steyn comes to the crease for Hyderabad.

19.4 overs: OUT!! Kane Richardson has got Karan Sharma out caught at long-on. Sharma was looking to clear the fielder but fails to time it well as Brad Hodge completes a regulation catch. Karan Sharma departs after scoring four runs off five balls.

Kane Richardson will bowl the FINAL OVER for Rajasthan.

18.2 overs: FOUR!! Venugopal Rao makes room and whacks it past point for a boundary. CRUCIAL RUNS for Hyderabad.

With Venugopal Rao(7) and Karan Sharma(0) at the crease, Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently at 116/5 after 18 overs.

Karan Sharma comes to the crease for Hyderabad.

17.3 overs: That's OUT!! Kane Richardson has got Darren Sammy out caught by the wicket-keeper. Sammy was looking to go over the off-side but gets a top-edge through to Sanju Samson for a simple catch. Darren Sammy departs after scoring six runs off 11 balls. Hyderabad are IN TATTERS here!!

NINE RUNS off the over!!

Venugopal Rao comes to the crease for Hyderabad.

16.6 overs: OUT!! Dhawan Kulkarni has got Lokesh Rahul out caught at deep midwicket. Rahul goes for the big shot again but sends it straight down the throat of Ajinkya Rahane for a simple catch. Lokesh Rahule departs after scoring 20 runs off 18 balls with a boundary and a six. Another BLOW for Hyderabad!!

16.4 overs: SIX!! Lokesh Rahul hangs back and clouts the pull over deep midwicket for the maximum. CRACKING SHOT from Rahul!!

15.5 overs: FOUR!! Lokesh Rahul swivels across and slogs it past short fine leg for a boundary. It's DESPERATION from Hyderabad now!!

With Lokesh Rahul(3) and Darren Sammy(2) at the crease, Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently at 85/3 after 14 overs.

Bhatia 3 overs 6dot balls 2 wickets ..frustration frustration fafafafa frustration #SRHvsRR Aditya tadepalli (@aditya_t_s) April 18, 2014

Darren Sammy comes to the crease for Hyderabad.

13.2 overs: That's OUT!! Rajat Bhatia has got David Warner out caught at deep square leg. Warner fails to pick the slower ball and goes for the pull only to send it straight into the hands of Kane Richardson for a simple catch. David Warner departs after scoring 32 runs off 35 balls with a boundary. DOUBLE WHAMMY for Hyderabad!!

With Lokesh Rahul(1) and David Warner(30) at the crease, Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently at 79/2 after 12 overs.

FOUR RUNS off the over!!

Lokesh Rahul comes to the crease for Hyderabad.

11.3 overs: OUT!! Rajat Bhatia has got Shikhar Dhawan out caught at deep square leg. Dhawan goes for the slog and sends it straight down the throat of Kane Richardson for a simple catch. Shikhar Dhawan departs after scoring 38 runs off 34 balls with three boundaries and a six. BIG BLOW for Hyderabad!!

9.5 overs: FOUR!! Shikhar Dhawan waits for it and crashes the cut past point for a boundary. The ball RACED AWAY to the fence!!

TWELVE RUNS off the over!!

8.3 overs: SIX!! Shikhar Dhawan bends down and tonks it over deep midwicket fence for the maximum. That was SMOKED by Dhawan!!

THREE RUNS off the over!!

First sign of spin, Pravin Tambe comes into the attack for Rajasthan. It's Warner vs Tambe here!!

With Shikhar Dhawan(17) and David Warner(14) at the crease, Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently at 41/1 after six overs.

5.4 overs: FOUR!! Shikhar Dhawan leans forward and drills it through extra cover for a boundary. That was CLASSY from Dhawan!!

???????@rajasthanroyals: A reflex catch from @FaulknerC25 almost sends Dhawan back to the crease. What an effort! #WeAreTheRoyals #SRHvsRR IPLoholic (@urbanpendu89) April 18, 2014

5.1 overs: CATCH-DROPPED!! James Faulkner has dropped Shikhar Dhawan in his follow through. Dhawan fails to pick the slower delivery and chips it back towards Faulkner who fails to latch onto it. It could've been a CRUCIAL BLOW for Hyderabad!!

4.1 overs: FOUR!! David Warner leans into the drive and sends it over covers for a boundary. Warner GETS GOING for Hyderabad!!

3.6 overs: FOUR!! Shikhar Dhawan rocks back and steers it towards third man for a boundary. That was CLEVERLY DONE by Hyderabad skipper!!

THIRTEEN RUNS off the over!!

First change, James Faulkner comes into the attack for Rajasthan.

TIDY START by Richardson, just two runs off it!!

Kane Richardson will bowl from the other end for Rajasthan.

EXCELLENT START by Kulkarni, a crucial wicket and just two runs off the over!!

Shikhar Dhawan comes to the crease for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

0.5 overs: That's OUT!! Dhawan Kulkarni has got Aaron Finch out caught at cover. Finch was looking to cut but sends it straight towards Kane Richardson for a simple catch. Aaron Finch departs after scoring two runs off five balls. EARLY BLOW for Hyderabad!!

David Warner and Aaron Finch are out in the middle for Hyderabad while Dhawan Kulkarni will start the proceedings for Rajasthan.

WATCH OUT FOR David Warner, in Hyderabad jersey, who will be making his debut for the new franchise after parting ways from Delhi this season.

Hyderabad will play Aaron Finch, David Warner, Dale Steyn and Darren Sammy while Rajasthan have included Shane Watson, Brad Hodge, James Faulkner and Kane Richardson as the overseas players in their Playing XI today.

Toss: Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Team Profiles:

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

The team, who spent Rs 59 crore, was amongst the big spenders in IPL Auction this year. Sunrisers Hyderabad splurged a whopping Rs 5.5 crore for David Warner and Rs 4 crore for Aaron Finch to strengthen their batting-order.

Their skipper Shikhar Dhawan brings the much-needed fire-power up in the team's batting-order. And his partnerships with Warner and Finch will only boost their chances of chasing or posting big totals this season.

South African speedster Dale Steyn will lead their bowling attack alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma with the new ball. In the spin department, Sunrisers will count on the in-form Amit Mishra who will be supported by Parveez Rasool and Karan Sharma.

In Darren Sammy, Moises Henriques, Irfan Pathan and Jason Holder, Sunrisers Hyderabad boasts of quality all-rounders capable of turning the game around for the team.

Rajasthan Royals:

During the IPL Auction this year, Rajasthan Royals spent big on Steven Smith, Tim Southee, Rajat Bhatia, Kane Richardson and Unmukt Chand to boost their squad.

The Royals will be lead by Australia's swashbuckling batsman Shane Watson this season following Rahul Dravid's transition into the role of team's mentor. Watto will be supported by Ajinkya Rahane at the top-order who has been a consistent performer with the bat for Royals over the years now. In Brad Hodge and Sanju Samson they have two seasoned Twenty20 batsmen who can absorb pressure and accelerate the innings.

Their bowling department is comprised of James Faulkner, Tim Southee, Kane Richardson, Kevon Cooper and Vikramjeet Malik. The new signings Amit Mishra and Steven Smith will cater to the spin-bowling attack for the Rajasthan Royals.

Last year's loss in the second qualifier of the tournament would surely be fresh in the minds of the players and with new recruits at their disposal, Royals will be eager to end their trophy drought this year.

Five key players from Sunrisers Hyderabad:

David Warner: The 'pocket dynamite' is currently in the form of his life following a spectacular show against England and South Africa recently. His ability to launch the ball back into the stands at will makes him one the most dangerous opening batsman in limited over cricket. He is the first Australian cricketer in 132 years to be selected for a National team without playing first-class cricket. Warner also became the first cricketer to record centuries in back to back T20 matches. His batting prowess makes him a T20 specialist with over 1200 runs to his name in the shortest version of the game. The explosive southpaw is touted to be one of the most influential players for Hyderabad this season.

Dale Steyn: The world's no. 1 Test and second-ranked ODI bowler has been the backbone of South Africa's bowling attack over the years now. The South African speedster swings the ball away from the right-hander and at a fair clip. Rarely do opposition openers line up to take the attack to the fiery pacer. Steyn thus is quite economical and as a strike bowler he is the go to man for his captain in need of wickets. In 2013 IPL, he took 19 wickets in 17 games at an economy rate of just over 5 and a half to bolster Sunrisers Hyderabad against their competitors. His ability to bowl with pinpoint accuracy and fierce pace makes him a batsman's worst nightmare. With 46 wickets to his name, Steyn boasts of 4/9 as his best bowling figures in T20 internationals. The South African Steyn-gun comes to the party more often than not and will be a key player for Sunrisers in the tournament.

Shikhar Dhawan: The southpaw from Delhi has got to be a household name by now, thanks to his aggressive batting and twirled moustache. The Indian opener has notched up an average of 41.77 with over 1500 runs including five tons and five half-centuries in ODIs. With an arsenal of traditional strokes and a cover drive that can liven up a dull crowd, Dhawan is just the guy you need to threaten the opposition. With over 300 runs in a mere 10 games, Dhawan was the top-scorer for Hyderabad in the IPL last season. As Hyderabad readies the ship to embark on another high-impact journey this season, their skipper Dhawan will be expected to set the heart racing for their fans once again in the IPL.

Amit Mishra: The 30-year-old leg-break bowler from Delhi, Amit Mishra, is a wicket-taking yet economical bowler in the shortest version of cricket. He was impressive in IPL 2008 when he picked up a hat-trick while playing for the Delhi Daredevils. Mishra was the highest wicket-taker for now-defunct Deccan Chargers with 19 wickets in 14 matches in 2012. He was also the highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps in 17 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season. His team will be happy with his superlative performance for India in World T20 and will be hoping he continues his good run in IPL this year.

Aaron Finch: The 27-year-old Victoria batsman has turned into a specialist in limited overs cricket for Australia in the recent years. With over 500 runs in T20 internationals, Finch is more than capable of stealing the game away from the opposition. His ability to strike the ball hard and long makes him a consistent run-getter for his team. His knock of 156 runs against England in 2013 witnessed 14 magnanimous sixes. He also slammed 456 runs for the now-defunct Sahara Pune Warriors in the IPL last season. Finch will be crucial in accelerating the innings in dire situations for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season.

Five key players from Rajasthan Royals:

Ajinkya Rahane: The 25-year-old youngster has been a prolific opening batsman for Rajasthan Royals over the years now. The right-hander was the highest run-scorer for his team with 560 runs in 16 matches last season. He has also scored am unbeaten century in the shortest format of the game.

James Faulkner: The 23-year-old Tasmanian has become an ntegral part of Rajasthan Royals in a relatively quicker span of time than one would have expected. A left-arm medium pacer and a right-hand batsman, Faulkner has got the right mix for being a successful T20 player. Faulkner was the second highest wicket-taker in the IPL last season with a tally of 28 scalps for Rajasthan Royals. Apart from his fiery bowling, Faulkner can also strike it big in the death overs which makes him a crucial batsmen down the middle-order for Royals.

Shane Watson: The 32-year-old 'Queensland tornado' is one of the most devastating and consistent performers in the shorter version of the game. The aggressive right-hander boasts of over 1000 runs alongside 36 wickets in T20 internationals. With his batting might and ability to pick up crucial wickets at regular intervals, Watto is one of the best all-rounders in the modern era of cricket. He was the highest run-scorer with 543 runs in 16 games for Rajasthan Royals last season. He'll be one of the crucial pieces of the puzzle for Rajasthan Royals in the tournament.

Unmukt Chand: The 20-year-old budding cricketer has proved his mettle in the past to confirm that he is ready to rumble with the big boys. The young right-hander failed to make a mark for Delhi last season but that shouldn't deter Team India's U-19 World Cup winning captain from making it count this year. With a change in team and a bit of luck, Unmukt should have ample amount of opportunities to showcase his talent in Royals' shirt this year.

Tim Southee: The young seamer, at the age of just 24 years, has become the spearhead of New Zealand's bowling attack. The right-arm bowler has the ability to generate late movement at a vigorous pace that can trouble some of the best batsmen in the sport. Southee has been on song especially after a successful series against India recently. With the career best figures 5/18, Southee boasts of 39 wickets in T20 internationals. Apart from his bowling exploits, the New Zealand bowler is also an efficient batsman. Currently ranked eighth in the list of Test all-rounders, Southee took five wickets and slammed 77 runs off 40 balls in the second innings during his Test debut against England. He is likely to be a key player for Rajasthan Royals this season.

Teams(from):

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan(c), Dale Steyn, David Warner, Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Venugopal Rao, S Anirudha, Manprit Juneja, Ricky Bhui, Darren Sammy, Irfan Pathan, Moises Henriques, Parveez Rasool, Naman Ojha, Brendan Taylor, Amit Paunikar, Amit Mishra, Karan Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Jason Holder, P Parameswaran, Ashish Reddy, Chama Milind

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Watson(c), Sanju Samson(wk), Ajinkya Rahane, James Faulkner, Stuart Binny, Steven Smith, Brad Hodge, Karun Nair, Unmukt Chand, Rajat Bhatia, Abhishek Nayar, Ben Cutting, Kevon Cooper, Rahul Tewatia, Dishant Yagnik, Ankush Bains, Iqbal Abdullah, Ankit Sharma, Pravin Tambe, Tim Southee, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kane Richardson, Deepak Hooda, Vikramjeet Malik, Amit Mishra