A spectacular display of batting prowess was seen during the 30th match of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, where Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) faced off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. By the end of their innings, SRH had not only smashed their way to victory but also set a new record by scoring the highest team total in IPL history: 287 for three.
In what could be described as an electrifying event, SRH, after being asked to bat first, showcased a batting masterclass proving the adage that “lightning can indeed strike twice.” Earlier in the season, SRH had set a formidable record by scoring 277 runs against the Mumbai Indians (MI), which at the time was the highest in this season’s IPL. Expectations were high at the outset, but the spectacle that unfolded surpassed imagination.
Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head opened the innings for SRH with a bullish start. Challenged with the bowling of Will Jacks, the initial overs saw a deluge of runs. Reece Topley’s first over leaked 20 runs, and similarly, Lockie Ferguson and Yash Dayal were handed rough treatments, conceding 18 and 20 runs respectively in their challenging overs. This fiery start pushed SRH score to 76/0 in just the powerplay, setting a tone of dominance.
Travis Head, displaying an exceptional form, reached his half-century in just 20 balls, intensifying the attack phase by phase. His fierce batting, with quick runs and powerful hitting, saw him achieving a century in only 39 balls—one of the fastest centuries in the IPL history. He was eventually dismissed by Ferguson for 102, but not before contributing significantly to the scoreboard.
Following Head’s dismissal, Heinrich Klaasen took the stage, maintaining the momentum with a quick 67 off 31 balls. Each over seemed to push the boundaries of scoring, and even when Klaasen fell to Ferguson, it merely set the stage for Abdul Samad. In the death overs, Samad played a cameo blitz racking up 37* off just 10 balls, catapulting SRH to their historic total.
Attempting an Everest-like climb, RCB began their reply with intent thanks to the efforts of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis who provided a fiery start replicating SRH’s powerplay score. However, despite Kohli’s rapid 42 off 20 balls and du Plessis’s brisk fifty, regular wickets dented their chase. By the halfway mark, RCB was 122/5, struggling to maintain the required momentum against a mounting required rate.
The latter half featured an admirable fight from Dinesh Karthik who scored 83 off 35 balls, but his valiant effort was not enough to surmount SRH’s monumental total. RCB concluded their innings at 262 for seven, thereby losing by 25 runs.
Despite the defeat, RCB’s spirited chase in this high-scoring match was commendable, but the day undisputedly belonged to SRH’s batters, who etched their name deeper into the IPL records with this astonishing performance. The match was also a stern reminder of the caliber of batting prowess SRH harbors, capable of turning the game single-handedly on its head.
Both teams, despite their differing fates in the match, were involved in a spectacle that will be recalled for its sheer run-fest and the thrilling batting displays put on by both sides. With none of the bowlers able to contain the run flow effectively, it was a day tailored for the batsmen, setting new benchmarks and enshrining an unforgettable chapter in the annals of the IPL.