In a remarkable display of dominance, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) stormed to an emphatic 10-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The dynamic batting duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma paved the way with an awe-inspiring performance, reaffirming SRH’s status as one of the most formidable batting line-ups in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Chasing a target of 166, SRH reached the mark in a mere 9.4 overs, delivering a batting exhibition to remember.
The match unfolded with SRH’s aggressive stance in the powerplay, a phase they have consistently conquered throughout the tournament. The team’s powerplay prowess was on full display as they amassed an astonishing 107 runs in the first six overs, effectively clinching the game from LSG. For the visitors’ bowlers, there was little room for error; the left-handed opening pair of Head and Sharma were relentless in their pursuit of boundaries.
What made SRH’s achievement even more remarkable was the slow start in the first over, where they scored just eight runs. However, the momentum quickly shifted in the second over when Abhishek ignited the onslaught, hammering four boundaries off Yash Thakur. In the subsequent over, K Gowtham faced the wrath of Travis Head, who belted 22 runs, courtesy of three towering sixes and a four. KL Rahul’s attempt to introduce Ravi Bishnoi in the fourth over did little to stem the flow of runs, as the SRH batsmen continued their charge.
When Naveen-ul-Haq was introduced in the fifth over, Head maintained the aggressive tempo, racing to a 16-ball half-century as the over yielded 23 runs. Thakur returned for the last over of the powerplay, but Abhishek continued his belligerent striking, propelling SRH past the 100-run mark. As the field spread in the seventh over, Head began with a slog-sweep for six over mid-wicket, while Abhishek notched up his fifty with a six over long-on.
The barrage of boundaries from both ends was relentless. Regardless of who bowled, Head and Abhishek batted as if they were on a mission to chase down the target within 10 overs. The victory was sealed in spectacular fashion when Abhishek launched Thakur for a massive six over cover. Head remained unbeaten on a blistering 89 off just 30 deliveries, while Abhishek finished with an unbeaten 75 from 28 balls.
. The explosive SRH innings featured a staggering tally of 16 fours and 14 sixes, leaving the LSG bowlers with figures they’d rather forget.
Earlier in the match, SRH’s bowlers had set the tone by restricting LSG to 165, consistently taking wickets to disrupt LSG’s top order. It was predominantly due to an impressive partnership between Ayush Badoni (55 not out off 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (48 not out off 26 balls) that LSG managed to reach that total. Their unbeaten 99-run stand provided some much-needed stability in the last 10 overs of their innings, contrasting sharply with the struggles LSG faced in the initial half.
The match began with Bhuvneshwar Kumar showcasing his expertise, throttling the LSG batting lineup. In his first three overs, Bhuvneshwar conceded only seven runs and claimed the crucial wickets of Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis. The score at the end of the powerplay read a modest 27 for two, indicating the early pressure exerted by SRH. LSG then attempted to rebuild with Krunal Pandya and KL Rahul.
Pandya aimed to accelerate in the eighth over, targeting Jaydev Unadkat for two sixes. Despite these efforts, LSG struggled to score at a brisk pace, eventually losing Rahul for 29 as he fell to a Pat Cummins delivery. In the 12th over, Pandya was run-out for 24, paving the way for Pooran and Badoni to join forces.
While Pooran provided stability and experience, it was Badoni’s aggressive streak that breathed life into LSG’s innings. With T Natarajan brought in for the 14th over, Badoni capitalized with three boundaries, revitalizing their efforts with a crucial 16-run over. LSG steadily improved their scoring rate, managing over ten runs an over from the 14th onward, save for Bhuvneshwar’s last over which cost only five runs. Bhuvneshwar concluded his exemplary spell with figures of two for 12, standing out as an excellent performance in a high-scoring match.
Badoni completed his fifty in the penultimate over, a 28-ball effort, before navigating two fruitful final overs that accumulated 34 runs for LSG, with Cummins conceding 19 in the last. These late efforts lifted LSG to a total of 165. While their recovery from the initial setbacks was commendable, especially considering their struggles in the first 10 overs, the twin tornado of Head and Abhishek from SRH proved too formidable to contain, sealing a memorable victory for SRH.