The Mumbai Indians (MI) secured a spectacular seven-wicket victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Wankhede Stadium, marking their fourth win of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The triumph was largely attributed to a breathtaking century by Suryakumar Yadav, who was ably supported by Tilak Varma during their seamless run-chase.
In keeping with the prevailing trend of this season, MI captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first against a formidable SRH batting lineup. MI made a tactical change by introducing right-arm medium pacer Anshul Kamboj into their side. SRH, on the other hand, reintroduced the experienced Mayank Agarwal to fortify their batting order.
The match began with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma delivering a promising start during the powerplay, regularly finding boundaries. However, the real drama unfolded in the fifth over when Kamboj was called to bowl. The over saw Travis Head initially smashing a six off the second ball, followed by his dismissal off the next ball, only to be reprieved by a no-ball call. Head made the most of the free-hit by striking another four, and added yet another four shortly after. Just before the powerplay concluded, MI’s ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah struck, catching Abhishek Sharma (11 off 16) behind and securing MI’s first breakthrough.
By the eighth over, Mayank Agarwal’s innings came to an end, bowled by the debutant Kamboj, marking a significant setback for SRH. The issue for SRH throughout their innings was the frequent loss of wickets. Aside from the initial 56-run opening partnership, no other partnership managed to cross the 50-run mark. Despite many of their batsmen getting off to decent starts, none could convert them into substantial scores. A critical point came when Travis Head was dismissed for 48 in the 12th over, putting MI in the driver’s seat. At one juncture, SRH were precariously placed at 136 for eight in the 17th over, necessitating the introduction of Sanvir Singh as their impact player.
Pat Cummins’ late assault was a saving grace for SRH, smashing 35 runs off just 17 balls, including two sixes and two fours. His aggressive stint ensured that SRH crossed the 170 mark, ending their innings at 173.
. The 37-run partnership for the last wicket proved to be invaluable, giving SRH bowlers a fighting chance. MI’s most effective bowlers were captain Hardik Pandya, with figures of three for 31, and Piyush Chawla, who also played a crucial role with three for 33.
MI’s run-chase got off to a flying start as openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma took the score to 26 within two overs. However, SRH bounced back with quick wickets. Kishan was the first to fall, edging to slip off Marco Jansen. It wasn’t long before Rohit followed suit, top-edging a ball to the wicketkeeper. Naman Dhir was also dismissed early, caught at first slip off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth over. With MI reeling at 31 for three in just the fifth over, the match seemed to tilt in SRH’s favor.
It was then that Suryakumar Yadav showcased his masterclass, opting for an aggressive approach to counter the pressure. His innings gained momentum with a boundary off Bhuvneshwar Kumar early on. Tilak Varma complemented Suryakumar’s intent by attacking Cummins in the sixth over, and at the end of the powerplay, MI were 52 for three.
As the fielding restrictions eased, Suryakumar changed gears, smashing 22 runs off Marco Jansen in the seventh over with two massive sixes and two boundaries. From this point, Suryakumar took complete control of the game, dismantling the SRH bowling attack. Tilak Varma played a stabilizing role, anchoring one end and allowing Suryakumar to bat freely at the other.
Suryakumar reached his fifty in just 30 balls, but it was his next fifty, achieved in only 21 balls, that left the spectators in awe. The winning moment came when Suryakumar lofted T Natarajan for a six in the 18th over, bringing up his century and sealing the victory for MI. The team achieved the target with 16 balls to spare, with Suryakumar being the undisputed star of the match, thanks to his sensational hundred.
In a match featuring twists and turns, it was Suryakumar’s explosive batting that stood out, ensuring a convincing win for the Mumbai Indians and delighting their home crowd at the Wankhede Stadium.