IPL

Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up their first win of the 2019 Indian Premier League season on Friday, as they notched an impressive five-wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals. 

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Rajasthan posted a massive total of 198 for two in their 20 overs. Samju Samson starred for them, as he hammered an unbeaten 102 runs off just 55 balls.

In response, Hyderabad flew out of the traps, with a scintillating 69 from David Warner providing the team with a brilliant springboard for a successful chase. Eventually, the Sunrisers completed a five-wicket win, reaching their target with an over to spare.

       

IPL 2019 Standings: Team—Played, Points, Net Run Rate

1. Kolkata Knight Riders—2, 4, +0.834

2. Chennai Super Kings—2, 4, +0.495

3. Delhi Capitals—2, 2, +0.782

4. Hyderabad Sunrisers—2, 2, +0.190

5. Kings XI Punjab—2, 2, -0.350

6. Mumbai Indians—2, 2, -0.775

7. Royal Challengers Bangalore—2, 0, -0.575

8. Rajasthan Royals—2, 0, -0.672

         

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH)—154

2. Sanju Samson (RR)—132

3. Nitish Raina (KKR)—131

4. Rishabh Pant (DC)—103

5. Robin Uthappa (KKR)—102

       

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB)—5

2. Imran Tahir (CSK)—4

3. Jaspirit Bumrah (MI)—4

4. Dwayne Bravo (CSK)—4

5. Andre Russell (KKR)—4

For the statistics in full for the 2019 Indian Premier League, visit the competition website.

        

Weekend Schedule

Saturday, March 30

Kings XI Punjab vs. Mumbai Indians

Delhi Capitals vs. Kolkata Knight Riders

      

Sunday, March 31

Hyderabad Sunrisers vs. Bangalore Royal Challengers

Chennai Super Kings vs. Rajasthan Royals

     

Friday Recap

The Rajasthan batting effort didn't get off to the best start, as their dangerous opener Jos Buttler struggled to find rhythm and was bowled by Rashid Khan.

Per the Cricket Professor, the England international has toiled whenever coming up against Khan's leg-spin bowling:

Rashid Khan v Jos Buttler T20 head-to-head record

Balls 10
Runs 4
Wickets 4
Average 1.00
Run Rate 2.40 @SunRisers @rajasthanroyals #IPL #SRHvRR

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) March 29, 2019

However, Samson's arrival at the crease was the trigger for a massive partnership with Ajinkya Rahane.

Both men scored freely and played many orthodox shots despite going at a rapid rate. Samson, in particular, made it difficult for the Hyderabad bowlers to settle, as he mixed up his approach and showcased an ability to score runs all around the wicket.

BT Sport relayed the moment the Rajasthan star got to three figures (UK only):

💯

Sanju Samson smashes his second VIVO IPL ton 🙌

Remember the name, he's going to be a star! pic.twitter.com/nhxKWpppcF

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) March 29, 2019

Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir was full of praise for Samson, as he finished up unbeaten on 102:

I normally don’t like to talk about individuals in cricket. But seeing his skills I am glad to note that Sanju Samson is currently the best Wicketkeeper batsman in India. For me he should be batting number 4 in the World Cup @BCCI @rajasthanroyals @IPL @StarSportsIndia

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) March 29, 2019

Rahane played a big role in the Royals amassing 198 from their innings, notching 70 from 49 balls. Ben Stokes was on hand to add an unbeaten 16 late on.

Getting near such a big total was always going to require a fast start from the Sunrisers and in Warner they had the ideal man for the job.

The Australian was at his destructive best for his side, climbing into some errant bowling and immediately getting Hyderabad ahead of the required rate.

As Warner tore into the Rajasthan bowling early in his innings, commentator Harsha Bhogle picked up on the different approaches from the game's two star performers:

Sanju Samson caresses the ball, David Warner pulverises it. Two different ways of scoring runs!

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 29, 2019

Warner reached his half-century in a rapid 25 balls, and the Sunrisers Twitter account summed up how prolific he is in this format:

https://twitter.com/SunRisers/status/1111675463162687493

While Warner did eventually fall for 69, having been ably supported by Jonny Bairstow, the team had already totted up 110 runs from just 9.4 overs. It meant sensible batting from that point would see them home.

Bairstow made 45 before he was dismissed. A smart 35 from Vijar Shankar was then enough to keep the chase under control for the Sunrisers despite a flurry of wickets in the second half of their innings.

The Indian Premier League returns on Saturday for its 2019 season, and with its return comes the IPL Fantasy League.

It's free to enter, and players can sign up here.

The IPL Fantasy Tournament runs throughout the season, and there are also Daily Challenges, in which players can create teams for each round of matches.

Here's a look at the rules for the 2019 IPL Fantasy Tournament, as well as tips and player recommendations:

              

Selection Rules

Entrants have 100 credits to spend on their team, which will be comprised of 11 IPL players.

Each team must consist of:

• At least one wicketkeeper (maximum two)
• At least three batsmen (maximum five)
• At least one all-rounder (maximum three)
• At least three bowlers (maximum five)
• At least one uncapped Indian player
• Maximum of four overseas players
• No more than seven players from one IPL franchise

                 

Users can make up to five free trades before each round's deadline. Any additional "Premium Trades" will incur a cost of 10 points each.

                      

Points Breakdown

Batsmen will receive:

• 0.5 points per run
• 0.5 points per boundary bonus
• 1 point per six scored
• 4 points for a half-century
• 8 points for a century
• -2 points if dismissed for a duck

                   

Bowlers will receive:

• 10 points per wicket, excluding run-outs
• 4 points for taking four wickets in a single match
• 8 points for taking five wickets in a single match
• 4 points per maiden over

                     

Fielders will receive:

• 4 points per catch
• 6 points per stump/run-out
  
• 4 points per throw leading to a run-out
• 2 points per catch leading to a run-out

                      

Users may nominate a captain and a vice-captain ahead of each round. The former receives double points, while the latter receives 1.5 times points.

All players earn two points per appearance in their side's starting XI.

Further information on scoring points can be found here.

         

Tips

When it comes to picking your team initially and then making trades during the season, you'll want to know which players perform consistently year to year and who's hot right now.

The IPL's official website has you covered there, and its extensive stats section will be one of your best resources, whether you want to know who is scoring the most runs or delve into more in-depth metrics like strike rates.

You'll also need to strike the right balance between star players and bargain buys.

To keep your 11-man team from going over your 100-credit budget, you essentially need to average a cost of nine credits per player.

Many of the biggest names, like Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Virat Kohli, can cost 10 credits or more. Kohli himself will set you back 11.5.

Lastly, the IPL runs from March 23 to May 5, with at least one fixture every day in that time. As such, keeping a close eye on your Round Status, which will tell you when one round ends and another begins, will prevent you from missing the valuable trade windows between each round.

                            

Players to Target

Sunil Narine, Kolkata Knight Riders

Cost: 10.5

Where else to start but Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine, who has been the Fantasy League's MVP in each of the last two seasons.

The all-rounder topped the pile in 2017 with 298 points, while last year he scored 379.5.

The IPL veteran, who will be competing in his eighth season, has become a potent scorer with bat and ball in recent years, which allows him to rack up points on both fronts.

In 2018, he scored 357 runs and grabbed 17 wickets. If he can produce a similar season in 2019, he'll likely be in contention to top the points standings for a third year running.

       

Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals

Cost: 9.5

The Delhi Capitals' Rishabh Pant was the second-highest scoring batsman in the IPL last year.

Only the Sunrisers Hyderabad's Kane Williamson plundered more than his 684, and the New Zealander played three more innings.

Despite scoring fewer runs than Williamson, Pant scored higher in terms of fantasy points having recorded more fours and sixes and scored a century.

He also made four catches and two stumps, making him a multi-varied threat like Narine.

At 9.5 credits, he's also relatively inexpensive considering only Narine and Shane Watson scored more points than him last year.