The Mumbai Indians (MI) heralded a triumphant evening at their home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, by securing a commanding seven-wicket win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). This victory marks MI’s fourth win in the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, significantly boosted by a sensational century from Suryakumar Yadav, with crucial support from Tilak Varma during their run-chase.
In line with the prevailing trend of the TATA IPL 2024, MI opted to bowl first after winning the toss, taking on a formidable SRH batting lineup. MI’s strategy included introducing Anshul Kamboj, a right-arm medium pacer, into their lineup. Meanwhile, SRH bolstered their batting by reintroducing the experienced Mayank Agarwal.
The powerplay saw an aggressive start from SRH, with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma picking boundaries at regular intervals. The fifth over added a dramatic twist as Kamboj began his spell. Head, in an aggressive mode, struck a six off the second ball. However, Kamboj dismissed him soon after, only to have it nullified for a no-ball. Head capitalized on the free hit, sending it for a four, and followed up with another boundary. Yet, MI got their first breakthrough just before the powerplay concluded, with Jasprit Bumrah securing Abhishek’s wicket (11 off 16) through a catch behind the stumps.
In the eighth over, Kamboj struck again, sending Mayank back to the pavilion. SRH’s innings was plagued by the regular fall of wickets, preventing any significant partnerships from flourishing. Apart from their opening stand of 56, no other partnership crossed the 50-run mark. Several SRH batters managed starts but failed to convert them into substantial scores. The dismissal of Head for 48 in the 12th over was a crucial moment for MI. At one point, SRH were struggling at 136 for eight in the 17th over, prompting them to introduce Sanvir Singh as their impact player.
Pat Cummins then brought a spark of aggressive batting that helped SRH surpass the 170-run mark. His quickfire 35 off just 17 balls, which included two sixes and two fours, propelled SRH to a total of 173.
. The 37-run partnership for the last wicket proved vital, giving SRH’s bowlers a fighting target to defend. Captain Hardik Pandya and Piyush Chawla were the standout bowlers for MI, both claiming three wickets each, with figures of three for 31 and three for 33, respectively.
MI’s chase commenced on a high note, with openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma scoring 26 runs within the first two overs. However, SRH quickly countered, with Kishan edging to slip off Marco Jansen’s delivery and Rohit soon following, caught behind off a top-edge. Naman Dhir also fell early, edging to first slip off a delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth over, leaving MI in a precarious position at 31 for three.
Amidst the chase, Suryakumar Yadav took charge, demonstrating that attack is often the best form of defense. He kickstarted his assault with a drive for four off Bhuvneshwar early in his innings. Tilak Varma joined the fray, challenging Pat Cummins’ bowling in the sixth over. By the end of the powerplay, MI had reached 52 for three.
As the field placements changed post-powerplay, Suryakumar remained undeterred. He smacked 22 runs off Marco Jansen in a single over, which included two sixes and two fours. SRH’s bowlers found no respite as Suryakumar continued his onslaught, leading the MI charge. Tilak Varma provided steady support from one end, allowing Suryakumar to fully express his batting prowess at the other. Notably, Suryakumar had scored his maiden IPL century at this very ground in the previous year during a first-innings stint. This time, he showcased his brilliance during a run-chase, much to the delight of the MI fans.
Suryakumar reached his fifty in just 30 balls, followed by a blazing display of aggressive T20 batting that saw him racing to his next fifty in just 21 balls. The climax came when he struck T Natarajan for a six in the 18th over, sealing both his century and MI’s victory.
MI claimed the win with 16 balls to spare, with Suryakumar Yadav being the star of the night with his unforgettable century, reaffirming his position as one of the most formidable batsmen in the IPL.
