Warner and Bairstow thrashed RCB bowlers to all parts of the ground | IANS

Amidst plenty of anticipation, Sunrisers Hyderabad hosted Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first match of Super Sunday (March 31) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. While SRH entered into the match with a thrilling five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals, RCB came with a depressing 6-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians.

Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bowl first, hoping for some early wicket. However, SRH openers – David Warner and Jonny Bairstow – were in a mood to entertain their home crowd. The duo made the mockery of RCB’s bowling line-up by sharing a record 185-run opening stand. Both Bairstow (114 off 56 balls) and Warner (100 not out off 55 balls) notched up their respective centuries as Sunrisers Hyderabad piled up a mammoth score of 231/2 in 20 overs.

As if the nightmare in the first half was not enough, the RCB camp experienced even worse while chasing the total. Afghanistan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi wreaked havoc on Bangalore batting line-up, claiming four wickets in quick succession to reduce the visiting team to 35/6. Parthiv Patel (11), Shimron Hetmyer (9), AB de Villiers (1), Shivam Dube (5) were the victims of Nabi, while Sandeep Sharma removed Kohli for 3.

Debutant Prayas Barman (19) and Colin de Grandhomme added 51 runs for the seventh wicket and delayed the inevitable. But it finally happened in the penultimate delivery of the last over as Sandeep got rid of Yuzvendra Chahal to bundle out RCB for 113. This 118-run loss of RCB was their second biggest defeat in terms of runs after the 140-run margin against KKR in the inaugural season.

While Twitter experts were impressed with the home team’s all-round dominance, they were extremely critical of RCB’s appalling show in all departments.  

Here are some of the reactions: