Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) delivered a breathtaking performance, clobbering Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 10 wickets in a dominating display at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The heroics of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma underscored SRH’s fearsome batting prowess in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Chasing a target of 166, SRH made short work of it, achieving victory in just 9.4 overs.
The foundation of SRH’s stellar chase was laid during the powerplay, a phase in which they have been consistently effective throughout the tournament. Accumulating an astonishing 107 runs within the first six overs, SRH essentially sealed their win early on. LSG’s bowlers found no breathing space as the left-handed opening duo pressed the accelerator and never looked back.
The rampage began cautiously enough, with SRH scoring just eight runs in the first over. However, it was the second over that set the stage for the onslaught. Abhishek Sharma took Yash Thakur to task, hitting four boundaries. Next in line was K Gowtham, and Travis Head showed no mercy, smashing 22 runs off his over including three sixes and a four. Ravi Bishnoi came on for the fourth over, but SRH’s onslaught was relentless, and the runs continued to come at a brisk pace. Naveen-ul-Haq’s attempt to stem the flow in the fifth over ended in further disaster for LSG as Head raced to a lightning-fast 16-ball half-century. That over too went for 23 runs.
Yash Thakur returned for the final over of the powerplay, but any hopes of containment were dashed as Abhishek Sharma matched Head’s ferocity, helping SRH cross the 100-run mark. The transition to field restrictions offered little respite; Head sent the first ball of the seventh over sailing for a six over mid-wicket, and by the eight over, Abhishek had notched up his half-century with a six over long-on.
Boundaries continued to flow freely from both ends. It seemed inconsequential who came on to bowl as Head and Abhishek batted with a clear intent to chase the target inside 10 overs. The climax came when Abhishek blasted Yash Thakur for a towering six over cover, sealing the emphatic victory. Head remained unbeaten on a scintillating 89 off 30 balls, while Abhishek ended on a blazing 75 not out from 28 balls.
. Their partnership featured 16 fours and 14 sixes, leaving LSG bowlers with forgettable figures.
Prior to SRH’s batting blitzkrieg, their bowlers had put in a commendable effort to restrict LSG to 165 runs. Key to this effort was frequent wickets that kept LSG on the back foot. It was only through a resilient, unbroken 99-run stand between Ayush Badoni (55 not out off 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (48 not out off 26 balls) that LSG reached a competitive total. This partnership dominated the latter half of their innings, overshadowing a rather sluggish start.
In the opening overs, SRH’s seasoned bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar applied pressure effectively, conceding only seven runs in his first three overs while picking up the crucial wickets of Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis. By the end of the powerplay, LSG had managed just 27 runs for the loss of two wickets, making it evident that rebuilding was necessary. Krunal Pandya and KL Rahul sought to revive the innings; Pandya took two sixes off Jaydev Unadkat in the eighth over, attempting to up the ante.
However, LSG’s run rate remained below par, and their woes intensified when Rahul, having scored 29, fell to a delivery from Pat Cummins. Krunal Pandya’s run-out for 24 in the 12th over further exacerbated their troubles, bringing Pooran and Badoni to the crease. The duo’s partnership, however, breathed life back into LSG’s innings. Badoni’s aggression complemented Pooran’s experience, and together they began to stabilize the innings.
When T Natarajan bowled the 14th over, Badoni seized the opportunity, hitting three boundaries in a 16-run over that injected much-needed momentum. From that point onwards, except for Bhuvneshwar’s economical final over, every over yielded over ten runs. This resurgence culminated in a 50 for Badoni, reached in the penultimate over off just 28 balls. The final two overs saw a flourish, garnering 34 runs, including 19 off Pat Cummins’ last over. This effort propelled LSG to 165, a total that seemed defendable initially. However, they hadn’t factored in the Head-Abhishek juggernaut that followed.
On the day, Head and Abhishek proved simply too formidable for LSG’s bowlers. Their explosive innings ensured a memorable victory for SRH, showcasing just why their batting lineup is a force to be reckoned with in the IPL.