In a show of sheer dominance, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) claimed a spectacular 10-wicket victory against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, leaving fans and critics alike in awe. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma emerged as the heroes of the day, delivering an explosive batting performance that underscored why SRH’s batting lineup is one of the most formidable in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Chasing a target of 166 in a mere 9.4 overs epitomized the sheer dominance of SRH’s batting throughout the match.
The SRH openers’ pyrotechnics were on full display during the powerplay, a phase they have consistently excelled in throughout the tournament. An impressive 107 runs were amassed within the powerplay itself, essentially clinching the game for SRH right out of the gate. The LSG bowlers found themselves with no room for error as the left-handed opening pair, determined to control the day, put forth an unrelenting performance.
Remarkably, they began their innings modestly with only eight runs in the first over. The fireworks commenced in the second over when Abhishek Sharma pummeled Yash Thakur for four consecutive fours. The momentum was maintained when K Gowtham was introduced to bowl the third over, as Travis Head joined the onslaught, smashing 22 runs, inclusive of three sixes and a four. This forced LSG’s captain, KL Rahul, to bring in Ravi Bishnoi for the fourth over, a move that did little to stem the flow of runs as SRH continued to rake in the boundaries effortlessly. By the time Naveen-ul-Haq took charge of the fifth over, Head raced to a stunning 16-ball half-century, with that over leaking 23 runs as well.
Thakur bowled the last over of the powerplay, but by then, the damage had already been done. Matching Head shot for shot, Abhishek took SRH past the 100-run mark. As the field spread, many anticipated a respite for LSG; however, that wasn’t to be. Head commenced the seventh over by slog-sweeping a massive six over mid-wicket, and Abhishek followed suit, reaching his fifty with a six over long-on.
The deluge of boundaries showed no sign of abating. Regardless of who came on to bowl, Head and Abhishek batted as if the target needed to be achieved within 10 overs. SRH sealed their victory when Abhishek smashed Thakur for a colossal six over cover. In an astounding display, Head remained unbeaten on 89 off just 30 balls, and Abhishek finished with 75 not out off 28 balls.
. The SRH innings featured an impressive tally of 16 fours and 14 sixes, leaving the LSG bowlers with forgettable figures.
Earlier in the day, SRH’s bowlers had set the stage by restricting LSG to 165 runs. Despite SRH’s consistent bowling efforts that fetched regular wickets, the latter part of the LSG innings saw a revival thanks to an unbeaten partnership of 99 runs between Ayush Badoni (55 not out off 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (48 not out off 26 balls). This partnership dominated the last 10 overs of LSG’s innings, a sharp contrast to the first 10 overs where LSG struggled to find momentum.
At the outset, Bhuvneshwar Kumar leveraged his vast experience to apply pressure on the LSG batsmen. His first three overs yielded only seven runs and claimed the prized scalps of Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis. At the end of the powerplay, LSG found themselves at a precarious 27 for two, requiring a phase of rebuilding with Krunal Pandya and KL Rahul.
Pandya’s decision to shift gears in the eighth over targeting Jaydev Unadkat with two sixes did little to drastically change the scoring rate, which remained below a run-a-ball. LSG’s struggle was exemplified when Rahul fell for 29, skying one off Pat Cummins to the deep, and shortly after, Pandya was run-out for 24 in the 12th over. This brought Pooran and Badoni together.
While Pooran brought experience and calm to the crease, Badoni turned on the aggression, leading LSG’s fightback. The 14th over, bowled by T Natarajan, saw Badoni pick three fours, giving impetus to the innings. From then on, the pair managed to score over 10 runs in every over, barring Bhuvneshwar’s final over which went for just five runs. Bhuvneshwar concluded a stellar spell with figures of 2 for 12, an exceptional feat given what transpired later in the match.
Badoni’s half-century came in the penultimate over off just 28 balls. The final two overs of LSG’s innings saw 34 runs being added, with 19 coming off the last bowled by Cummins, pushing LSG to a defendable total of 165. Given the context of their first 10 overs, this recovery was remarkable and kindled hope for their defence. However, Head and Abhishek proved to be an unstoppable force on the day.
Wednesday’s match not only reinforced SRH’s batting prowess but also underscored the unpredictability and thrill that the IPL is known for.