Yuvraj sizzles as Sunrisers post 207/4 vs RCB in IPL opener

A vintage Yuvraj Singh hammered Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers to submission with 27-ball-62 as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a commendable 207 for 4 in the opening game of the IPL-10, here on Wednesday night. On a batting beauty, Yuvraj smashed the RCB bowlers to cleaners after Srinath Aravind dropped a dolly at deep square leg boundary. Yuvraj was on 26 then and the let-off allowed him to score his fastest IPL half-century off 23 balls.

Moises Henriques' 52 off 37 balls also went a long way in contributing to Sunrisers' total. The Yuvraj-Henriques pair added 58 runs in only 4.5 overs after Shikhar Dhawan (40) was involved in a 74-run stand for the second wicket. Yuvraj's innings had seven fours and three sixes while Henriques' innings had three fours and two sixes. Skipper David Warner started with a couple of boundaries and huge six over long-on off left-arm seamer Aniket Chaudhary but was gone when his slash was taken by a leaping Mandeep Singh at backward point.

Dhawan banged rival skipper Shane Watson for four boundaries in the final Powerplay over to set the tone. Henriques at the other end chanced his arms to hit a six over long-on off Travis Head. Once Dhawan was caught in the deep off Stuart Binny's delivery, Yuvraj came in and started taking on the bowlers. Rajasthan's Chaudhary, who has been with the India camp came in for special treatment including a lofted extra cover drive for a six apart fom two fours in a single over. Aravind, who dropped him bowled a back of the hand slower that was dispatched into mid-wicket stands. A widish delivery from Chaudhary was slashed past point to reach his half-century. IPL's million dollar boy Tymal Mills was flicked past short fine leg and once again picked the slower delivery into the deep square leg stands before becoming his first victim. India's T2- specialist Yuzvendra Chahal (1/22 in 4 overs) held his own without conceding a single boundary while Mills 1/31 in 4 overs bowled the maximum (11) dot balls.