The Mumbai Indians (MI) displayed sheer dominance at their home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, securing an impressive seven-wicket win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). This triumph marks MI’s fourth victory in the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, showcasing the team’s resurgence, notably fuelled by a stupefying century from Suryakumar Yadav, with pivotal support from Tilak Varma during their chase.
In line with the established trend of TATA IPL 2024, MI opted to field first after winning the toss, aiming to curb the batting prowess of SRH. MI’s lineup included the introduction of Anshul Kamboj, a right-arm medium pacer, while SRH called upon the experience of Mayank Agarwal to solidify their batting.
SRH’s innings began with a flurry of boundaries as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma aggressively capitalized during the powerplay. The fifth over, bowled by Kamboj, encapsulated high drama as Head, after smashing a six off the second ball, was bowled out on a no-ball. Seizing the opportunity, Head struck the subsequent free-hit for a four, continuing with another boundary. Jasprit Bumrah then handed MI their first breakthrough, dismissing Abhishek (11 off 16) caught behind just before the conclusion of the powerplay.
The eighth over saw Anshul Kamboj claim the vital wicket of Mayank Agarwal, securing his maiden IPL scalp. SRH’s innings was plagued by a recurring theme—frequent loss of wickets. Aside from their opening 56-run partnership, none of the subsequent partnerships exceeded 50 runs. Numerous batsmen got off to promising starts but failed to convert them into substantial scores. Head’s dismissal for 48 in the 12th over was a significant blow to SRH. By the 17th over, SRH found themselves in dire straits at 136 for eight, prompting them to deploy Sanvir Singh as the impact player.
Pat Cummins’ late surge proved vital for SRH as he hammered 35 off just 17 balls, striking two sixes and two fours, propelling SRH to a defendable 173. The critical 37-run partnership for the last wicket buoyed SRH’s hopes, particularly after having seen Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defend a similar total against MI at the same venue.
. MI’s standout bowlers included their captain Hardik Pandya, who registered figures of three for 31, and Piyush Chawla, who also contributed significantly with three for 33.
MI’s pursuit of 174 commenced robustly, with openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma surging to 26 inside two overs. SRH, however, struck back decisively, with Marco Jansen dismissing Ishan through an edge to slip. Rohit’s departure, securing a top edge caught by the wicketkeeper in the fourth over, followed by Naman Dhir’s early exit off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s delivery in the fifth over, plunged MI into trouble at 31 for three.
Suryakumar Yadav then emerged as MI’s savior, taking control with a stellar display of aggressive cricket. Early in his innings, a brilliantly timed drive off Bhuvneshwar set the tone. Tilak Varma complemented Suryakumar’s assault by targeting Cummins in the sixth over. By the end of the powerplay, MI had managed to stabilize at 52 for three.
With field restrictions easing, Suryakumar’s onslaught continued as he annihilated Marco Jansen, plundering 22 runs off the seventh over with two sixes and two fours. The SRH bowlers were given no respite thereafter, as Suryakumar controlled the game with finesse, allowing Tilak to anchor the other end. Batting first last year at the same venue, Suryakumar had scored his maiden TATA IPL century. This time, while chasing, his command over the innings was evident, with the partisan crowd witnessing some of his most exquisite strokes.
Suryakumar raced to his fifty in just 30 balls and then accelerated, reaching his next fifty in a mere 21 deliveries. Sealings MI’s emphatic victory came in the 18th over, when he dispatched T Natarajan for a six, bringing up his century and guiding MI to victory with 16 balls to spare.
Suryakumar was indisputably the hero, his brilliant century ensuring MI’s dominance on their home turf and emphasizing the team’s solid standing in the TATA IPL 2024 season.