The stage was set at the iconic Wankhede Stadium as the Mumbai Indians (MI) locked horns with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in what turned out to be an electrifying match. The thrilling contest ended with MI securing a triumphant seven-wicket win over SRH, marking their fourth victory of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The hero of the day, undoubtedly, was Suryakumar Yadav, whose spectacular century was crucial in sealing MI’s victory. Supporting him was Tilak Varma, who played a vital role during the run-chase.
The excitement began right from the toss, with MI opting to bowl first – a trend observed consistently throughout the TATA IPL 2024. MI introduced Anshul Kamboj, the promising right-arm medium pacer, into their lineup. Conversely, SRH decided to bring in the experienced Mayank Agarwal to strengthen their batting order.
SRH got off to an aggressive start with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma taking charge during the powerplay, hitting boundaries consistently. The fifth over, bowled by debutant Kamboj, brought drama to the middle. Travis Head, in an aggressive mood, struck Kamboj for a six off his second ball, only for Kamboj to bowl him out immediately after. However, the delivery was declared a no-ball. Seizing the opportunity, Head hit a four off the resulting free-hit and followed up with another boundary. Despite this fiery start, SRH faced an early setback as Jasprit Bumrah struck in the last over of the powerplay, getting Abhishek (11 off 16) caught behind.
The excitement continued in the eighth over when Anshul Kamboj claimed the prized wicket of Mayank Agarwal, bowling him out. SRH’s innings were marred by the consistent fall of wickets, preventing them from building substantial partnerships. Apart from their opening partnership of 56 runs, none of the other partnerships managed to cross the 50-run mark. Numerous batters got off to good starts but failed to convert those into significant scores. The dismissal of Head for 48 in the 12th over was a crucial blow for SRH. By the 17th over, SRH found themselves struggling at 136 for eight, prompting them to bring in Sanvir Singh as their impact player.
It was Pat Cummins’ explosive batting that provided SRH with a glimmer of hope, propelling them to a total of 173. His quick-fire knock of 35 off just 17 balls, including two sixes and two fours, was vital.
. The 37-run partnership for the last wicket was particularly crucial, giving SRH’s bowlers a defendable target. For MI, the most successful bowlers were captain Hardik Pandya with figures of three for 31, and Piyush Chawla, who also shared the spotlight with three for 33.
Chasing 174, MI’s run-chase got off to a flying start with openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma racing to 26 runs within two overs. However, SRH quickly clawed back into the game. Marco Jansen claimed the wicket of Ishan Kishan, who edged to slip. The fourth over saw Rohit Sharma top-edge a delivery, which was comfortably caught by the wicketkeeper. Naman Dhir’s dismissal, edging to first slip off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth over, pushed MI into a precarious position at 31 for three.
With MI under pressure, Suryakumar Yadav stepped up, showcasing his class and demonstrating that offense is the best defense. His innings started with an exquisite drive for four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, signalling his intentions. Tilak Varma wasn’t one to stay quiet as he too laid into Pat Cummins in the sixth over. By the end of the powerplay, MI had recovered somewhat to 52 for three.
With the field spread out, Suryakumar maintained his aggressive approach, amassing 22 runs off Marco Jansen in the seventh over, courtesy of two sixes and two fours. Thereafter, the game was dominated by Suryakumar. His century was a lesson in T20 batting as he gave the SRH bowlers no room to make a comeback. With Tilak holding up one end, Suryakumar had the freedom to display his full range of shots, entertaining the packed Wankhede Stadium.
Suryakumar’s batting was nothing short of breathtaking. It took him just 30 balls to reach his fifty, and he accelerated even further, taking only 21 balls for his next fifty. The victory came in the 18th over when Suryakumar smashed T Natarajan for a six, reaching his century and guiding MI home with 16 balls to spare.
In conclusion, Mumbai Indians’ victory was a testament to their resilience and the brilliance of Suryakumar Yadav. With this win, MI has firmly embedded themselves as a formidable force in the ongoing Tata IPL 2024.