In a display of sheer dominance, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured a monumental 10-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. This emphatic triumph underscored the formidable prowess of SRH’s batting lineup, making them a force to be reckoned with in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The target of 166 appeared a mere formality as SRH chased it down in just 9.4 overs, a testament to their blistering batting performance.
SRH’s batters wasted no time in establishing their supremacy, particularly during the powerplay, a phase they have repeatedly dominated throughout the tournament. Accumulating a staggering 107 runs during this six-over stretch not only set the tone but practically sealed the game in their favor from the onset. The LSG bowlers found themselves with no margin for error, as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma unleashed an onslaught that left their opponents reeling.
Remarkably, SRH’s onslaught began rather modestly with only eight runs coming off the first over. However, the second over marked the beginning of a batting frenzy, as Abhishek Sharma launched a lethal attack against Yash Thakur with four boundaries. Not to be outdone, Travis Head took the third over by storm, hammering 22 runs off K Gowtham, including three sixes and a four. As Ravi Bishnoi took over the bowling in the fourth over in an attempt to stymie the flow of runs, SRH remained undeterred, continuing to score at an astonishing rate.
The fifth over, bowled by Naveen-ul-Haq, saw Head maintain the blistering tempo and race to a 16-ball half-century. This over alone yielded 23 runs, encapsulating the utter demolition of LSG’s bowling attack. The powerplay concluded with Thakur bowling the last over but the runs kept flowing as Abhishek Sharma matched Head stroke for stroke, pushing SRH past the 100-run mark.
Many expected a lull once the fielding restrictions were lifted, but SRH’s momentum proved unstoppable. In the seventh over, Head slog-swept the first ball for a six over mid-wicket. Abhishek Sharma continued his assault, reaching his fifty with a colossal six over long-on. The narrative of boundaries persisted unabated, with Head and Abhishek batting as though they were chasing down the target within ten overs.
The final blow was dealt when Abhishek smashed Thakur over cover for a towering six, sealing the victory.
. Head ended the match unbeaten on a spectacular 89 off 30 balls, while Abhishek remained not out at 75 off 28 balls. Their innings was an exhibition of brutal efficiency, featuring an incredible 16 fours and 14 sixes, delivering a nightmare performance for the LSG bowlers.
Before SRH’s batting masterclass, their bowlers had laid a solid foundation by restricting LSG to 165. This was achieved by consistently taking wickets and disrupting the top order, preventing any significant partnerships from forming early on. Only a valiant effort from Ayush Badoni (55 not out off 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (48 not out off 26 balls) helped LSG reach a respectable total. Their unbroken 99-run partnership dominated the latter half of the innings, contrasting sharply with the struggle in the initial overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the SRH bowling charge with a masterclass in control and precision. In his first three overs, Bhuvneshwar conceded just seven runs and claimed the crucial wickets of Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis. His impeccable spell left LSG floundering at 27 for two at the end of the powerplay, forcing them into a rebuilding phase with Krunal Pandya and KL Rahul.
Pandya attempted to shift the momentum in the eighth over, targeting Jaydev Unadkat with a couple of sixes. Nevertheless, LSG struggled to accelerate, and the pressure intensified when KL Rahul fell for 29, pulling a delivery from Pat Cummins to the deep field. Pandya’s run-out for 24 in the 12th over compounded LSG’s woes, bringing Pooran and Badoni together at the crease.
Pooran stabilized the innings with his experience, while Badoni injected much-needed aggression. Their partnership began to flourish from the 14th over, notably taking 16 runs off T Natarajan. This injection of pace was critical, and their combined efforts ensured that LSG scored over 10 runs per over consistently from the 14th onwards, except for Bhuvneshwar’s last over, which was miraculously restrictive, costing just five runs.
Badoni achieved his fifty in the penultimate over off a mere 28 deliveries. The final two overs yielded 34 runs, with 19 coming from the last over bowled by Cummins, propelling LSG to 165. This recovery, given their precarious position at the halfway mark, was commendable and might have instilled a glimmer of hope for a defendable total. However, the ruthless efficiency of Head and Abhishek on the day extinguished any such aspirations, proving too formidable a challenge for LSG to overcome.