Red-hot Sunrisers eclipse their own record with a stunning performance
Head leads the way with a blistering century before Klaasen unleashes his range of shots; the Hyderabad side finishes with 287, a new high
unrisers Hyderabad (SRH) broke records galore on the way to posting a truly mammoth 287 for three against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.
With a hail of sixes and fours, SRH posted the highest ever total in IPL history, going past its own 277 for three gained earlier this season.
SSecond highest
This was also the second highest total in all T20s, behind Nepal’s 314 for three versus Mongolia. The visitor also hit the most sixes (22) in an IPL essay.
Opener Travis Head (102, 41b, 9x4, 8x6) got the ball rolling with the fourth fastest IPL century.
Head and Abhishek Sharma (34, 22b, 2x4, 2x6) crushed RCB’s early, smashing 76 runs in the PowerPlay.
No respite
There was no respite for RCB even after Abhishek was sent back in the ninth over as another powerhitter — Heinrich Klaasen — walked in.
That Klaasen was promoted up the order to do even greater damage spoke volumes about SRH’s unrelenting attack.
Head used a mix of timing and power to light up the night. When the ball drifted on the pads, he flicked it far, and on other occasions, the southpaw threw the kitchen sink at it.
Klaasen took a few deliveries to settle, and then unleashed a full array of shots.
Erring in length
The RCB pacers erred by pitching it well up, allowing the South African to strike mighty straight blows, some which cleared the stadium.
As SRH went hammer and tongs, the RCB fielders watched in despair as the ball disappeared to all parts.
The death overs predictably went SRH’s way as well, as Aiden Markram (32 n.o., 17b, 2x4, 2x6) and Abdul Samad (37 n.o., 10b, 4x4, 3x6) came to the party.
Setting the template
The big crowd, comprising primarily of the RCB faithful, was treated to a
K. BHAGYA PRAKASH thrillaminute fare.
By going all guns blazing from start to finish, SRH set the template for modernday T20 cricket.
RCB, already down in the dumps with four straight losses, was left embarrassed.
Siraj, Maxwell dropped
Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell — both struggling for form — were left out of the ◣I, but that did little to improve fortunes.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
Abhishek Sharma c Ferguson b Topley 34 (22b, 2x4, 2x6), Travis Head c du Plessis b Ferguson 102 (41b, 9x4, 8x6), Heinrich Klaasen c Vyshak b Ferguson 67 (31b, 2x4,
Aiden Markram (not out) 32
Abdul Samad (not out) 37 Extras (lb-2, nb-1, w-12): 15; Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 287.
FALL OF WICKETS
RCB BOWLING
Jacks 3-0-32-0, Topley 4-0-68-1, Dayal 4-0-51-0, Ferguson 4-0-52-2, Vyshak 4-0-64-0, Lomror 1-0-18-0. Toss: RCB.
DRCB was 187 for six in 15 overs with Karthik (36) and Rawat (5) batting. Kohli (42), du Plessis (62), Jacks (7), Patidar (9), Chauhan (0) and Lomror (19) were out down the order.
On Tuesday night, at one of cricket’s most iconic grounds, two teams in top form come face to face. It should be a fascinating battle in the IPL between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens.
Royals are sitting atop the table with five wins from six games while Knight Riders, which has four wins from five, must be keenly eyeing that spot.
After crushing Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets with plenty to spare at the same venue, the host is indeed looking formidable.
RR landed in this historic metropolis after winning its last match, though it was a much closer encounter against Punjab Kings.
Sanju Samsmon’s men had won that match without two of their most experienced stars, Jos Buttler and R. Ashwin. The team’s star of the season, Riyan Parag, had a relatively quiet game too, but Shimron Hetmyer steered the side home with a 10ball 27 not out. Such has been