The Mumbai Indians celebrated a commanding seven-wicket victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, marking their fourth win in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The triumph was fueled by a spectacular century from Suryakumar Yadav, supported ably by Tilak Varma during the critical run-chase.
Following current trends in the TATA IPL 2024, MI won the toss and elected to bowl, putting the pressure immediately on SRH’s powerful batting lineup. MI introduced rookie Anshul Kamboj, a right-arm medium pacer, to their squad, while SRH made the strategic decision to reintroduce Mayank Agarwal to fortify their batting.
The opening duo for SRH, Travis Head, and Abhishek Sharma, wasted no time and began their innings aggressively, consistently finding the boundary. But the drama began in earnest during the fifth over when Kamboj took the ball. Head, aiming to dominate, smashed a six off Kamboj’s second delivery. However, immediately after, Kamboj bowled Head, only for it to be ruled a no-ball. Undeterred, Head took full advantage of the free-hit, slamming it for a four, followed by another boundary.
The moment of relief for MI came just before the conclusion of the powerplay, with Jasprit Bumrah securing the first breakthrough. He had Abhishek Sharma caught behind, limiting Sharma to just 11 runs off 16 balls.
In the eighth over, Kamboj made amends for his no-ball blunder by dismissing Mayank Agarwal, knocking over his stumps. This dismissal underlined the recurring theme of SRH’s innings: frequent loss of wickets. After an opening partnership of 56 runs, no further partnership crossed the 50-run mark. Multiple SRH batsmen managed to get starts but failed to convert those into substantial scores. Head’s departure for 48 in the 12th over was a significant blow to SRH, reducing them to 136 for eight by the 17th over, leading the team to summon Sanvir Singh as an impact player.
The innings was energized by Pat Cummins, whose aggressive batting style helped SRH post a competitive 173 runs. Cummins’ rapid 35 runs off just 17 balls, which included two sixes and two fours, proved invaluable. The last-wicket partnership added 37 crucial runs, providing SRH with something to defend, especially on a ground where a similar total had been successfully defended by KKR against MI.
. Hardik Pandya, MI’s captain, shone with the ball, taking three for 31, while Piyush Chawla also played a crucial part, picking up three for 33.
Mumbai’s chase began on a positive note, with openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma accumulating 26 runs within the first two overs. However, SRH quickly struck back, dismantling the top order. Marco Jansen removed Kishan, securing an edge to slip. Shortly after, Rohit Sharma mistimed a shot, resulting in a catch to the wicketkeeper. The woes continued for MI as Naman Dhir edged a delivery to first slip off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth over, leaving MI at precarious 31 for three.
At this critical juncture, Suryakumar Yadav put on a showcase of outstanding batting skill, asserting that offense would be his defense. His assault began with an early boundary off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. At the same time, Tilak Varma offered much-needed support, especially in the sixth over by attacking Cummins. By the end of the powerplay, MI had recuperated to 52 for three.
With the field spreading out, Suryakumar remained unfazed, plundering 22 runs off Marco Jansen’s seventh over, including two sixes and two fours. From that point, Suryakumar dominated proceedings, not allowing SRH bowlers any chance of a comeback. Tilak’s stability at the other end enabled Suryakumar to play his natural game. Last season, Suryakumar garnered his maiden T20 century at the same venue while batting first. This time, he was pivotal in steering MI’s run-chase.
It took Suryakumar just 30 balls to reach his half-century. What followed was an exhilarating display of aggressive T20 batting as he raced to his hundred in an additional 21 balls. The match concluded fittingly with Suryakumar striking T Natarajan for a six in the 18th over, sealing MI’s victory with 16 balls to spare.
The match was a thrilling spectacle of cricketing excellence, with Suryakumar Yadav emerging as the undoubted star with his unforgettable century.