The Mumbai Indians (MI) showcased their dominance at the iconic Wankhede Stadium with a compelling seven-wicket victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 55 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. This victory marked MI’s fourth win of the season and was highlighted by a dazzling century from Suryakumar Yadav, which was decisively supported by Tilak Varma during the run-chase.
Following the prevailing trend in TATA IPL 2024, MI won the toss and opted to bowl first against a formidable SRH batting line-up. MI’s strategy included the introduction of right-arm medium pacer Anshul Kamboj. On the other hand, SRH reinforced their batting order by bringing back the seasoned Mayank Agarwal.
Right from the beginning, SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma adopted an aggressive stance during the powerplay, consistently finding the boundaries. The fifth over of the innings brought high drama as Kamboj commenced his spell. Head, keen to attack, lofted a six off the second ball but was bowled off a subsequent delivery, which was declared a no-ball. Seizing the opportunity, Head capitalized on the free-hit by smashing it for a four followed by another boundary. The breakthrough for MI came just before the powerplay concluded when Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Abhishek Sharma, who was caught behind after scoring 11 off 16 balls.
In the eighth over, Mayank Agarwal’s innings came to an end as he was clean-bowled by debutant Kamboj. This dismissal exemplified SRH’s primary struggle during the match, characterized by their inability to build substantial partnerships after an initial stand of 56 runs. While several batsmen managed decent starts, they failed to convert these into significant scores. Travis Head’s dismissal for 48 runs in the 12th over constituted a pivotal moment for MI. By the 17th over, SRH found themselves teetering at 136 for eight, prompting the introduction of Sanvir Singh as their impact player.
In the concluding stages, Pat Cummins’ aggressive batting propelled SRH past the 170-run mark. Cummins scored a crucial 35 off just 17 balls, including two sixes and two fours, paving the way for SRH to post a total of 173. The 37-run partnership for the final wicket proved vital, offering the SRH bowlers a defendable target while recalling KKR’s successful defense of a similar score against MI at the same venue.
. Hardik Pandya, MI’s captain, emerged as one of the most successful bowlers with figures of three for 31, closely followed by Piyush Chawla, who claimed three for 33.
MI’s run-chase began on a promising note as openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma made a brisk start, racing to 26 runs inside two overs. However, the SRH bowlers soon clawed their way back into the game. Ishan Kishan was dismissed by Marco Jansen, edging to slip. Rohit Sharma followed soon after, top-edging a delivery into the wicketkeeper’s gloves in the fourth over. Naman Dhir was also quickly sent back to the pavilion, edging Bhuvneshwar Kumar to first slip in the fifth over, leaving MI in a precarious situation at 31 for three.
Suryakumar Yadav then took control, demonstrating his class and attacking prowess. He launched his counter-assault with a graceful drive for four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar early in his innings. Tilak Varma joined the charge by attacking Cummins in the sixth over, helping MI reach 52 for three by the end of the powerplay.
As the field restrictions eased, Suryakumar’s aggressive approach remained unaffected. He targeted Marco Jansen in the seventh over, plundering 22 runs with a display of two sixes and two fours. From thereon, Suryakumar dominated proceedings, not allowing the SRH bowlers any room for a comeback. With Tilak anchoring at one end, Suryakumar unleashed his full array of strokes, keeping the scoreboard ticking.
Suryakumar’s brilliance was on full display, taking just 30 balls to reach his half-century. His subsequent fifty came even quicker, achieved in just 21 balls, showcasing a masterclass in T20 batting. MI sealed the victory in style as Suryakumar smashed T Natarajan for a six in the 18th over, bringing up his century and securing a comfortable win for MI with 16 balls to spare.
Suryakumar Yadav’s outstanding century was undoubtedly the highlight of the match, underscoring his pivotal role in MI’s chase and ensuring that the Mumbai fans had plenty to cheer about at the Wankhede.