TATA IPL 2024: Head, Sharma Blaze as SRH Chase 166 in 9.4 Overs, Stunning LSG
Travis Head dominated with a blistering 89 runs off just 30 balls, while Abhishek Sharma delivered a powerful performance, scoring 75 runs from 38 balls. Their outstanding partnership led Sunrisers Hyderabad to a commanding victory over Lucknow Super Giants by ten wickets. They chased down the target of 166 runs in a mere 9.4 overs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, utterly dismantling the LSG bowling attack.
SRH in this season of IPL have scored with an economy of 11.37 in the power play overs, and yet again reached 100 under six overs only. LSG opened their bowling with Krishnappa Gowtham and Yash Thakur expectedly, but SRH got off to a flyer. Travis hits Gowtham for 22 runs, followed by Abhishek taking four fours off Thakur. The hitting never stopped even after the fifties, as both batters were in destructive mode to help SRH chase down the target in less than 10 overs.
Head showcased exceptional form, reaching his half-century in a mere 16 balls. His hitting was nothing short of astonishing, as he effortlessly targeted every area of the field regardless of the delivery's line or speed. One particularly remarkable shot was a back-foot off-drive off Ravi Bishnoi, sailing for a massive six over long-off.
Following that, there was an impressive swat down the wicket straight of mid-off off Naveen-ul-Haq. With this shot, he reached 58 runs off just 18 balls, surpassing the 500-run mark for the tournament and also securing the record for the most fours in this IPL. At this juncture, Sunrisers Hyderabad stood at 87 for no loss after five overs, a score four times greater than what Lucknow Super Giants had managed at the same point in the match.
In all T20 cricket, only seven times have 100 or more been scored in the powerplay, SRH have the top two scores, both in this year of IPL. It seemed slow by comparison, but Abhishek Sharma reached his fifty in 19 balls with a straight six off Ayush Badoni as SRH reached 120 for 0 in 6.3 overs. As many as 14 sixes and 16 fours were hit in the chase which meant every second ball reached the boundary.
Previously, Bhuvneshwar Kumar spearheaded the bowling attack with impressive figures of 4 overs, 12 runs, and 2 wickets, maintaining tight control by conceding runs only in increments of one. His performance effectively silenced the Lucknow Super Giants' top order, limiting them to just 66 runs in the initial 11.2 overs. However, an unbeaten partnership worth 99 runs between Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran steered LSG towards a respectable total.
