Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured a stunning 10-wicket triumph over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, marking another victorious chapter in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The batting heroics of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were on full display, underlining SRH’s reputation as a potent batting force. Chasing a target of 166, SRH achieved victory in just 9.4 overs, a testament to their supreme batting prowess.
The sensational display began during the powerplay—a phase where SRH has consistently excelled throughout the tournament. Scoring an unprecedented 107 runs within the first six overs, SRH essentially sealed the match early on. The LSG bowlers, finding no respite, were overwhelmed by the relentless aggression from SRH’s left-handed opening pair.
The first over saw a modest beginning with only eight runs. However, the explosive assault began in the second over as Abhishek Sharma smashed four consecutive fours off Yash Thakur. The momentum continued to build when K Gowtham bowled the third over, wherein Travis Head unfurled his batting expertise, accumulating 22 runs with three sixes and one four. The pressure mounted on LSG’s captain KL Rahul, prompting him to introduce Ravi Bishnoi in the fourth over, yet the runs kept flowing unhindered.
Naveen-ul-Haq’s arrival in the fifth over did little to stymie SRH’s momentum. Head, unfazed, blitzed his way to a 16-ball half-century. The over conceded another 23 runs, pushing SRH further ahead. Abhishek matched Head’s intensity, and by the time Thakur bowled the final over of the powerplay, SRH had already crossed the 100-run mark.
Upon the field spreading, many spectators anticipated a brief respite for LSG. However, Head dispelled such hopes immediately by slog-sweeping the first delivery of the seventh over for a six. Abhishek promptly reached his fifty by launching a six over long-on.
Boundaries continued to flow from both ends, maintaining the aggressive tempo. The SRH openers displayed sheer mastery, seemingly on a quest to achieve their target inside 10 overs. The climax came when Abhishek clobbered Thakur over covers for a grand six, sealing the ten-wicket win for SRH.
. Travis Head remained unbeaten on a jaw-dropping 89 off 30 balls while Abhishek finished at 75 not out off 28 balls. The innings was glittered with 16 fours and 14 sixes, rendering a miserable day for the LSG bowling unit whose figures laid bare their ordeal.
Earlier in the day, SRH’s bowling unit had equally shone, restricting LSG to a total of 165, thanks to timely breakthroughs that stunted their top order. It was only through the efforts of Ayush Badoni (55 not out off 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (48 off 26 balls) that LSG managed to amass a competitive score. Their unbeaten 99-run partnership dominated the latter part of LSG’s innings, contrasting sharply with the faltering beginning.
At the onset, SRH’s experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar set the tone by applying immense pressure on the LSG batsmen. Conceding only seven runs in his first three overs and claiming the wickets of Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis, Bhuvneshwar steered SRH to a dominant position with LSG precariously placed at 27 for two at the end of the powerplay. With this backdrop, LSG had to rely on Krunal Pandya and KL Rahul to stabilize the innings.
Krunal Pandya attempted to accelerate the scoring in the eighth over by striking two sixes off Jaydev Unadkat. Nonetheless, LSG continued struggling to score at more than a run per ball. The predicament worsened when KL Rahul fell for 29, caught in the deep by Pat Cummins in the 12th over, followed by Pandya’s run-out for 24.
The innings then saw revival through Pooran and Badoni. Pooran’s experience combined with Badoni’s aggression injected much-needed energy into LSG’s innings. Turning point came in the 14th over, bowled by T Natarajan, where Badoni cracked three fours, making it a 16-run over and boosting LSG’s momentum. The duo maintained a double-digit scoring rate in every subsequent over, barring Bhuvneshwar’s economical final over which only conceded five runs. Bhuvneshwar’s exceptional figures of two for 12 were laudable, considering the subsequent run-fest.
Badoni scripted his half-century in the penultimate over, reaching the milestone in just 28 balls. The last two overs further bolstered LSG’s score, accruing 34 runs including 19 off the final over bowled by Cummins, pushing LSG to 165. Despite the first half’s struggles, this recovery carried glimmers of hope for LSG in their defense. However, the ruthless batting display by Head and Abhishek overshadowed LSG’s endeavors, leading SRH to a spectacular victory.