SRH piled up 277/3 in 20 overs against MI – the new highest total in the IPL.
Invited to bat first, SRH lost Mayank Agarwal (11 off 13 balls) cheaply. However, the duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma wreaked havoc on the MI bowlers, smashing quickfire half-centuries. While Head scored 62 off 24 balls (9 fours and 3 sixes) before getting out, Abhishek slammed 63 off 23 balls with 3 fours and 7 sixes.
After their dismissals, the South African pair of Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen took the MI attack the cleaners. Since the platform was set, they dealt in boundaries from the outset. Markram and Klaasen added an unbroken 116-run stand for the fourth wicket, propelling SRH to a gigantic 277/3 in 20 overs – the new highest total in the IPL, surpassing RCB’s previous record of 263.
While Heinrich Klaasen returned with 80 not out off 34 balls (4 fours and 7 sixes), Aiden Markram remained unbeaten on 42 off 28 balls.
During the course of SRH’s innings, Kavya Maran also caught everyone’s attention with her whirlwind of emotions.
The SRH CEO couldn't control her emotions as the hosts got off to a dazzling start, courtesy of opener Travis Head. She also expressed her happiness with some moves when Klaasen smashed a six.
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In response, Mumbai Indians put up a valiant effort, scoring 246/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Tilak Varma led the charge with a dazzling 64 off just 34 balls, while Tim David contributed an unbeaten 42 off 22 deliveries to keep MI in the contest.
However, their efforts went in vain as the Hardik Pandya-led side lost the match by a big margin of 31 runs.
Speaking after the match, SRH skipper Pat Cummins said, “That was insane. The ball was really pinging around. Not until we bowled, it got a bit too close for comfort. They found a boundary whenever they needed it, but we finished it off well.”
“(On Abhishek Sharma) Really impressive, in IPL you play with a lot of pressure but he plays with great freedom. (On plans in first innings) You never play for 270, but we wanted to be positive and be aggressive, take the game on. It was a good wicket, so we have to suck it up knowing we would go for a few boundaries. What's important is to have clear plans with the ball. (On home crowd) Amazing atmosphere in the ground, enjoyed playing here, was incredibly loud,” he added.