Player of the match: Jason Roy, for his half century, on his SRH debut

SRH win by 7 wickets: Here’s how the points table looks after 10 matches for all teams. FOUR TEAMS ON 8 POINTS! And SRH might be out of the reckoning, but they are having a say.

Points table after SRH vs RR

Team Pld Won Lost Net RR Pts
CSK 10 8 2 +1.069 16
DC 10 8 2 +0.711 16
RCB 10 6 4 -0.359 12
KKR 10 4 6 +0.322 8
PBKS 10 4 6 -0.271 8
RR 10 4 6 -0.369 8
MI 10 4 6 -0.551 8
SRH 10 2 8 -0.501 4

HALF CENTURY COMPLETE. WIN SEALED: Back-to-back boundaries and Kane Williamson reaches his fifty, complete the run-chase with minimum fuss.

SRH 159/3 after 18 overs: A big over for SRH when perhaps Royals would have liked to apply some squeeze. Game all but done. 6 off 12.

Over 17.5: The most Kane of shots. On his hips, no fuzz, no mess. Nonchalantly placed in the gap behind square for four.

Over 17.1: Just when it seemed like there might be some drama in another RR match, Abhishek Verma plays a superb shot for six off Sakariya. Elegantly done! Equation down to 16 off 17.

SRH 143/3 after 17 overs: Tidy over from The Fizz. Williamson is almost run out off the last ball after a massive mix up. Are RR making another late comeback? 22 off 18 balls.

26 needed off 24. RR need another miracle to defend this from here, SRH need to avoid brain fades.

SRH 139/3 after 16 overs: RR have pulled off a win from a near undefendable position before, can they do it again? Williamson’s wicket and you’d never know. But the SRH captain is controlling proceedings. Need 26 off 24 balls. Timeout.

SRH 131/3 after 15 overs: Sharma needed that to make sure he didn’t get bogged down, a lovely pull shot for four off Morris. SRH continue to cruise in third gear.

Morris is back, struggled with his radar earlier.

SRH 124/3 after 14 overs: Sakariya has started off with two really tidy overs. Abhishek in the middle with Captain Kane.

Over 12.6: WICKET! Priyam Garg (0) c & b Mustafizur Rahman, 119/3

A first-ball duck for Priyam Garg as The Fizz completes a return catch. Garg lobs back a slower ball. Are SRH about to mess up another run-chase? Thankfully for them, Williamson is still in the middle and looking good.

Over 11.6: WICKET! Jason Roy (60) c Sanju Samson b Chetan Sakariya, 114/2

Against the run of play, Jason Roy tries scooping one and can only get a faint touch. Sakariya strikes, Samson with a good catch. Roy out for a superb 60 off 42. He cannot believe how he has gotten out, one of the slowest walks back to the pavilion.

Only now Sakariya comes on to bowl. Maybe held back for the death overs but the run-chase has already been sealed (if SRH don’t mess this up from here).

SRH 111/1 after 11 overs: WHAT AN OVER FOR SRH. After his fifty, Roy just takes off. 21 runs in that Tewatia over, that also saw a dropped catch.

HALF CENTURY! Joy for J-Roy on SRH debut. A stroke-filled fifty for the Englishman.

SRH 90/1 after 10 overs: A ridiculous back-foot punch for six over extra cover keeps SRH going at 9 an over.

Wow, what a six from Captain Kane!

SRH 81/1 after 9 overs: More running between the wickets for this pair, six runs from Tewatia’s over.

SRH 75/1 after 8 overs: Solid running between the wickets enough to make it a 7-run over from Lomror. SRH need to keep things steady here, given the lack of experience in their middle order.

SRH 68/1 after 7 overs: Williamson, who got out in the most unKanely manner earlier in this second leg, has the time to get set and do his thing. Tidy first over from Tewatia.

SRH 63/1 after 6 overs: Other than last over from Lomror that pulled things back, a terrific powerplay for SRH.

Over 5.1: WICKET! Wriddhiman Saha (18) st Sanju Samson b Mahipal Lomror, 57/1

Saha dances down the track too early, enough time for Lomror to beat him on length.

SRH 57/0 after 5 overs: Well, well. 18 runs in that Morris over, one of those leg bye for four. Three fours for Roy, as Morris struggles with his radar. What a start for SRH. Something they have struggled with for large parts of this season. The 50-run stand has come up in the 5th over between Roy and Saha.

SRH 39/0 after 4 overs: Expensive first over from The Fizz. Roy, after a quieter than typical start, gets going with a couple of boundaries.

Sanju Samson, meanwhile, is out there wearing his orange cap.

SRH 26/0 after 3 overs: Terrific over for SRH, thanks to Saha. A pickup shot for six to start off and then a crunching drive through cover for four later on. Unadkat has gone for 20 in his first 2.

SRH 14/0 in 2 overs: Morris from the other end and he starts off with a steady over.

SRH 8/0 in 1 over: Samson has perhaps shown SRH the way. Take your time in the middle, get your eye in and then tee off. But Roy doesn’t usually like to wait around. A four off the last ball and SRH are up and running.

SRH openers Saha and Roy are out in the middle and their team can sure use a win today.

Innings break: It is one of those things that must (should) annoy think-tanks, when you finish batting first with five wickets in hand and a possible below par score. Surely teams must go harder? Samson needed more from his teammates.

RR 164/5 in 20 overs: SRH start and end the innings well. Royals have left a few runs in the middle, it must be said. Sanju Samson was brilliant, Yashasvi Jaiswal impressive but the rest struggled. Kaul finishes with 2/36 in 4 overs. Could have added another if a catch was taken by Samad in the last over.

Over 19.4: WICKET! Riyan Parag (0) c Jason Roy b Siddarth Kaul, 162/5

Riyan Parag’s batting form has been rather poor recently and he is out for a first-ball duck. Granted not much one can do batting in the last over, but he has looked out of it in general. Out caught at long off.

Over 19.2: WICKET! Sanju Samson (82) c Jason Holder b Siddarth Kaul, 161/4

Sanju Samson out for 82 off 57 balls. A fine innings. Sid Kaul strikes in the last over. Caught at long on. SRH finishing well here.

RR 160/3 after 19 overs: Terrific exhibition of yorker bowling by Bhuvi, just 7 runs from that over.

RR 153/3 after 18 overs: Another good over for RR. 10 off Holder’s last, as he finishes with 4-0-27-0. Samson moves to 78 off 52 balls, Lomror needs a move on and he has a life after Sandeep drops one backtracking from short third.

RR 143/3 after 17 overs: Another delightful lofted inside out shot for four as Bhuvi comes back into the attack. Strong finish by RR.

RR 133/3 after 16 overs: What an over for RR. After that mishit for six, Samson slams a pickup over midwicket. 4-2-6-2-6-0 in Kaul’s over.

HALF CENTURY! Sanju Samson has mixed caution with some absolutely delightful strokeplay. Gets to the fifty with a lovely shot for four. Then somehow times a leading edge well enough for a six down the ground.

RR 113/3 after 15 overs: Timeout done, Samson doesn’t play per conventions. No taking time after a break. Superb first ball six. Rashid finishes with 4-0-31-1.

RR 102/3 after 14 overs: Back to back good overs for Royals, as Lomror hits a lovely lofted on drive off Holder for a six past long on. Wonderful shot, gets better with every replay. Time for a timeout.

RR 92/3 after 13 overs: A good over that RR desperately needed. Lomror takes on Rashid through the legside, hits a four.

RR 83/3 after 12 overs: Solid return to the attack for Kaul. Just to runs. RR have stagnated big time since that six by Jaiswal.

Kaul comes back into the attack after an expensive first over. Neither side in control of this game yet. RR 81/3 after 11.

Over 10.1: WICKET! Liam Livingstone (4) c Abdul Samad b Rashid Khan, 77/3

Livingstone came into the IPL with some fantastic form behind him but he is struggling at the moment for Royals. Goes for a big shot against Rashid, caught in the deep.

RR 77/2 after 10 overs: Samson plays a shot that might not be bettered all night. Abhishek Sharma into the attack, Samson gives himself room and lofts it inside out past long off. Gorgeous.

Over 8.4: WICKET! Yashasvi Jaiswal (36) b Sandeep Sharma, 67/2

Six and out not long after. Another bright innings from Jaiswal but he is dismissed just when he was starting to get going. Bowled by Sandeep’s slower delivery.

RR 60/1 after 8 overs: Trevor Bayliss says from the sidelines that the plan is to give the youngsters a go for the remainder of the tournament and look to give them experience. With a mega auction around, a chance for them to rebuild surely. Another tight over from Holder meanwhile, who is using his height to good effect.

Timeout. SRH need a few wickets here.

RR 57/1 after 7 overs: Jaiswal with a delightful late cut, using Rashid’s pace, for four. This is a solid start and then some for RR who have the tendency to have lost 3-4 wickets by this time.

Rashid time.

RR 49/1 after 6 overs: Kaul spoils the pattern game. Had the last ball been a dot it would have been another 11 run over. Instead it is a 12-run over to close the powerplay out. Two classy boundaries either side of deep point for Samson in that over.

RR 37/1 after 5 overs: First over 11 runs, second over 0 runs, third over 11 runs, fourth over 11 runs, fifth over 1-1-1-1 runs. (Now we are stretching it!) A good start from Holder though.

RR 33/1 after 4 overs: First over 11 runs, second over 0 runs, third over 11 runs, fourth over 11 runs. Nice pattern this. Especially for SRH. A boundary each for Samson and Jaiswal. The latter survives a chance in the last ball of Bhuvi’s over. Mistimed lofted shot, mistimed jump by Holder at mid-on.

RR 22/1 after 3 overs: First over 11 runs, second over 0 runs, third over 11 runs. Two more boundaries for Jaiswal, square of the wicket either side. When Sandeep goes short of length, he is easy to put away usually. Beats the opener when he goes fuller with a peach.

RR 11/1 after 2 overs: Right, that’s a super start for Bhuvi. Wicket maiden. Among a few T20 World Cup squad members for India struggling for form, Bhuvi is one. So he can gain some confidence from the remaining matches.

Over 1.1: WICKET! Evin Lewis (6) c Abdul Samad b Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11/1

Bhuvi strikes first ball for SRH. On the hips for Lewis, he usually loves it there. But the hook shot doesn’t have the distance. Caught at the fence.

RR 11/0 after 1 over: Two lefties to open for Royals. Lewis hits the first four, a late cut controlled well. Jaiswal hits another four, a streaky leading edge over the catching fielder there.

Lewis back in the side after a reported niggle, Jaiswal in the middle for RR. Sandeep will start for SRH.

Playing XIs:

Sunrisers Hyderabad XI: Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha, Priyam Garg, Kane Williamson, Abhishek Sharma, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul

Rajasthan Royals XI: Evin Lewis, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Mahipal Lomror, Liam Livingstone, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

The David Warner saga: Started the season as the franchise captain, complaints about selection issues, dropped as captain, dropped as a player, returns to the side as the opener for the second leg, seemingly dropped again. A bonafide great of the IPL, it would seem 2021 has played out in such a way that David Warner has been dropped twice in one season. Unfortunate for him, all but certain he’s going to part of the auction now. Any South India-based franchise looking for a captain?

Changes for both sides:

TOSS: Samson wins toss and RR will be batting first. And Williamson confirms that Warner is missing out, Roy gets a look. Changes aplenty.

A few teams would be hoping for a SRH win...

06.55 pm: Early indications are that there will be no David Warner for SRH today. Has he been dropped for the second time in the same season? Jason Roy receives his SRH cap.

06.53 pm: Match No 40 in the IPL: At the end of tonight’s match all eight teams would have played 10 matches. SRH’s campaign is all but done, RR are in the middle of what could be a close race for 4th spot.

06.45 pm: After a whirlwind weekend of action in the Indian Premier League, it’s time for a new in the 14th edition. As far as exciting contests go, one-win Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on the inconsistent Rajasthan Royals is not up there... but maybe we will get a good contest between two sides looking to return to winning ways. For SRH, the campaign is all but over but for RR the playoffs are very much alive.

Here’s how the points table looks like ahead of match No 40:

Team Pld Won Lost Net RR Pts
CSK 10 8 2 +1.069 16
DC 10 8 2 +0.711 16
RCB 10 6 4 -0.359 12
KKR 10 4 6 +0.322 8
PBKS 10 4 6 -0.271 8
RR 9 4 5 -0.319 8
MI 10 4 6 -0.551 8
SRH 9 1 8 -0.637 2