Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) destructive openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma took no prisoners as they walked out to chase a below-par target of 166 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. They made Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowlers look like rookie club cricketers and finished the run chase in just 45 minutes with a big win with 62 balls to spare. SRH became the first team in T20 history to chase down 160-plus target inside 10 overs.
Horrible start for LSG
Earlier, KL Rahul won the toss and opted to bat first considering SRH's record while setting a target. Quinton de Kock came back into the side but got out for a single-digit score to Bhuvneshwar Kumar as Nitish Reddy took an excellent catch on the boundary. Rahul struggled to make use of fielding restrictions. In Bhuvneshwar's third over, Sanvir Singh took a screamer to dismiss Marcus Stoinis. After powerplay overs, LSG were 27/2. Debutant Sri Lankan spinner Vijayakanth Viyasakanth kept Rahul and Krunal Pandya quiet. Krunal accelerated in the eighth over and hit Jaydev Unadkat for two sixes.
Badoni, Pooran help LSG post respectable total
Cummins came back into the attack and ended Rahul's troubled stay at the crease. He scored 29 runs from 33 balls. Krunal was unfortunate as he was run out by Cummins for a 21-ball 24. Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran took on the bowlers and got LSG past 100 in the 15th over. Bhuvneshwar finished his spell with an economical over. He conceded just 12 runs from four overs. In the penultimate over, Badoni hit two fours and reached his fifty from 28 balls. In the final over, Pooran hit three fours off Cummins to take LSG to 165/4. He remained unbeaten for 26-ball 48.
Unreal hitting
Off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham kept Head and Abhishek quiet with a seven-run over. In Yash Thakur's next over, Abhishek hit four consecutive fours. Head hit the first six of the innings. He hit Gowtham for three sixes and a four in the third over. Ravi Bishnoi almost ended Abhishek's stay at the crease but his catch was dropped by Thakur at short third-man. He conceded 17 runs in his first over. Naveen-ul-Haq was introduced into the attack and Head hit him for one six and two fours. He reached his fifty from just 16 balls. Abhishek attacked Thakur and smashed two sixes and two fours in the sixth over. SRH posted 107 for no loss in the powerplay overs. He reached his half-century from 19 balls.
Record-breaking win
Interestingly, Rahul introduced Badoni into the attack. Head and Abhishek hit one six each in the 19-run over. Bishnoi was expensive again. He was hit for two sixes and a four. He also dropped a tough chance and gave Abhishek another reprieve. In the ninth over, Naveen was brought back into the attack but the sixes didn't stop. In the 10th over, Abhishek finished the run chase with a six. He hit six sixes and eight fours in his 28-ball 75. On the other end, Head hit eight sixes and as many fours in his 30-ball 89.
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