Yuvraj's fireworks light up IPL opener

Yuvraj Singh shellacked a 23-ball half-century - his fastest in the IPL - which paved the way for Sunrisers Hyderabad's 207 for 4. He came in after the fall of Shikhar Dhawan in the 11th over, and almost immediately found his groove with a whipped four off S Aravind. IPL debutants Aniket Choudhary and Tymal Mills also attempted to tuck up Yuvraj, but they could not get the ball upto the chest. Yuvraj gloriously swatted those away in the arc between deep square leg and long-on. He raced to 62 before being beaten for pace by Mills in the penultimate over of the innings. Yuvraj was at it in the field too, grabbing two catches, of Travis Head at long-on and Stuart Binny at backward point.

The pick-up whips off the hips were stylish, but the six off Choudhary in the 13th over provided the visual moment of the day. Choudhary pitched it a tad too full outside off - it was not a half-volley - and Yuvraj extended his arms, imperiously lofting the ball over extra cover. The shot was a throwback to the heyday of Yuvraj.

Yuvraj came into the IPL with renewed confidence, having returned to India's limited-overs sides. In the Cuttack ODI against England, he struck a career-best 150 off 127 balls - his first ODI hundred since the 2011 World Cup in India, where he was Man of the Tournament.