Sunrisers Hyderabad made the IPL Play-offs road tougher for Rajasthan Royals with a comfortable seven-wicket victory in Dubai on Monday.

SRH vs RR as it happened: Roy, Williamson star as SRH end five-match losing streak

Skipper Sanju Samson top-scored for the Royals with his 82-run knock to take his side to 164 for five after electing to bat.

Pacer Siddarth Kaul (2/36) scalped two batsmen while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma and Rashid Khan took a wicket apiece for SRH, who are already out of reckoning for the play-offs.

SRH then knocked off the target in 18.3 overs with opener Jason Roy scoring 60 runs on franchise debut and skipper Kane Williamson a confident unbeaten 51-run knock.

Opting to bat, the Royals scored 164 for six on the back of a well-calculated 82-run knock by skipper Sanju Samson on a sticky wicket where stroke-making was difficult.

However, the score proved insufficient as Roy (60 off 42) and Williamson (51 not out) led the team to their only second win of the season. Player of the match Roy, on the day, vindicated the franchise’s decision to drop Warner for the second time this season.

The loss has dented the Royals’ playoff chances as they remained at the sixth spot with eight points while Sunrisers, who only have a slim mathematical chance to qualify, remained at the bottom of the table.

Now four teams – Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Royals and Mumbai Indians – are tied on eight points each and all are alive in the play-offs race in which CSK and Delhi Capitals are firm favourites for the top two places with 16 points each.

Brief scores:

Rajasthan Royals: 164 for 5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 82, Yashashvi Jaiswal 36; Siddarth Kaul 2/36, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/28).

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 167 for 3 in 18.3 overs (J Roy 60, K Williamson 51 not out; M Rahman 1/26, C Sakariya 1/32).

With PTI inputs