The Mumbai Indians (MI) roared to victory at their home ground, the iconic Wankhede Stadium, with a stellar seven-wicket win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). This triumph marks MI’s fourth win of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, with the highlight being a scintillating century by Suryakumar Yadav, supported ably by Tilak Varma in the run-chase.
Sticking to the prevailing trend of TATA IPL 2024, MI’s captain won the toss and opted to bowl first against a well-stocked SRH batting lineup. MI made an intriguing inclusion by bringing in Anshul Kamboj, a right-arm medium pacer, into their lineup. On the other hand, SRH reintroduced the seasoned Mayank Agarwal to bolster their batting framework.
The match began with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma making an aggressive start during the powerplay, regularly finding the boundaries. Drama unfolded in the fifth over when Kamboj started his spell. Head, looking to attack, hit a six off the second ball. However, Kamboj then bowled him, only for it to be ruled a no-ball. Seizing the opportunity, Head smashed the free-hit for four, followed by another boundary. With the powerplay nearing its end, MI finally tasted success when Jasprit Bumrah had Abhishek (11 off 16) caught behind.
The eighth over saw Mayank Agarwal’s departure, bowled by debutant Kamboj, exemplifying SRH’s struggle to sustain partnerships. Apart from their opening stand of 56 runs, none of SRH’s other partnerships could surpass the 50-run mark. While several batters got off to promising starts, they were unable to convert them into significant scores. The big breakthrough for MI came when they dismissed Travis Head for 48 in the 12th over. By the 17th over, SRH found themselves in deep trouble at 136 for eight, necessitating the inclusion of Sanvir Singh as their impact player.
Pat Cummins’ aggressive batting performance at the tail end provided SRH with a fighting chance. He smashed a quickfire 35 off just 17 deliveries, including two sixes and two fours, helping SRH cross the 170-run mark.
. His partnership of 37 runs for the last wicket proved crucial, giving SRH’s bowlers something to defend and a glimmer of hope, especially considering KKR had successfully defended a similar score against MI at the same venue. MI’s captain Hardik Pandya and Piyush Chawla were the standout bowlers, each grabbing three wickets while conceding 31 and 33 runs, respectively.
MI’s run-chase got off to a flying start with openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma racing to 26 within two overs. However, SRH quickly struck back, dismissing Ishan who edged to slip off Marco Jansen. Rohit soon followed, top-edging a ball caught by the wicketkeeper in the fourth over. Naman Dhir also fell early, edging to first slip off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth over, leaving MI teetering at 31 for three.
At this juncture, Suryakumar Yadav took center stage. Unleashing an array of aggressive strokes, he demonstrated that attacking play was the best form of defense. It began with a drive for four off Bhuvneshwar, signaling his intentions early. Tilak Varma also joined the assault, taking on Pat Cummins in the sixth over, guiding MI to 52 for three at the powerplay’s close.
With the field spread out, Suryakumar’s momentum remained unhampered as he took 22 runs off Marco Jansen in the seventh over, including two sixes and two fours. From there on, it was Suryakumar’s show all the way, not allowing SRH bowlers a chance to make a comeback. Tilak Varma held the other end resiliently, enabling Suryakumar to express his attacking prowess freely.
Suryakumar raced to his fifty off just 30 balls, and his next fifty came even faster, taking only 21 balls. His remarkable innings was capped by a towering six off T Natarajan in the 18th over, securing not just his century but also MI’s victory with 16 balls to spare.
Mumbai’s seven-wicket victory was significantly shaped by Suryakumar’s breathtaking century, a performance sure to be remembered by fans for a long time. Tilak Varma provided vital support, culminating in a win that showcased the depth and resilience of the MI squad in the TATA IPL 2024 season.