Kane Williamson was a relieved captain as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday (September 27) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets in Dubai to register their first victory in the second phase of IPL 2021.

Opting to bat first, RR posted 164/5 in 20 overs on the back of skipper Sanju Samson’s 57-ball 82, which included 7 fours and 3 sixes.

In reply, SRH overhauled the target with 9 balls to spare. Jason Roy led the foundation of the chase with a blazing knock of 42-ball 60 at the top. Captain Williamson also stepped up to the plate and stayed unbeaten on 51 off 41 balls to take his team over the line.

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"Good feeling. We can say the performance was improved. There was clarity in roles too and it's nice to be back to winning ways. Good to be on the right side. Want to build on this, want to see the younger players take their opportunity and enjoy the cricket," Williamson said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Last two overs with the ball were critical. Sanju batted outstanding and they were looking to score more but we managed to close them into a par-ish total. And then the partnership with the bat up top. We weathered the storms against the slower bowlers. Roy is an injection of energy," he added.

Williamson also showered rich praise on Jason Roy, who replaced out-of-form David Warner in the playing XI.

"He's been on the sidelines but was always ready to go. He did what he does, great to see. Fantastic player, great contribution. We want to recover before the next game. Couple of days away, new venue, need to take on CSK, top of the table, tough to beat. But as we know every team in this tournament is good. Hopefully we can play with a smile on our faces," he remarked.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their next match in Sharjah on Thursday (September 30).