Another chapter was added to the glorious history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 25 runs on Monday night. A total of 549 runs were scored, four batters registered fifty-plus scores, 10 wickets fell and as many as 38 sixes were hit – that summarizes the run-fest that just ended in Bengaluru on Monday night.
The Orange Army shattered their own record to register the highest total in the history of the tournament – 287/3 – which is also the second-highest team total in men’s T20 cricket. In reply, they restricted the hosts to 262/7, which apparently was 1 run short of their best score in the tournament (263/5 vs PWI in 2013).
Beating the highest total required needed a superlative effort and RCB tried replicating the Sunrsiers’ blitzkrieg from the world go. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis added 79 runs in the Powerplay but couldn’t take camaraderie forward as Mayank Markande cleaned up a dangerous Kohli for 42.
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Skipper Faf du Plessis knew about the dearth of batting firepower in the line-up when someone like a Glenn Maxwell was missing. He tried keeping the RCB in the hunt but hardly had anyone matching his intensity from the other end. He blasted 4 sixes and 7 boundaries, scoring 62 off 28 before falling prey to his counter Pat Cummins in the 10th over.
The inexperienced top-order succumbed to the pressure yet again, leaving the least impact in the mammoth chase. Will Jacks (7), Rajat Patidar (9) and Saurav Chauhan (0) headed back to the hut in time, leaving Dinesh Karthik to a huge mountain to climb.
Karthik, who is at the fag end of his career, looked like a man on a mission as he dared to take RCB through when the chips were down. He has been in superb form this season and the same as on display when RCB was up for an uphill task but he faced the same situation as Faf in the first half of the chase – lack of a trusted partner. Still, he took the onus on his shoulder, smothering the SRH bowlers with 7 sixes and 5 boundaries in his 83 off 35, including the longest maximum of his season – 108m – that landed on the roof of the Chinnawamy.
Earlier, Travis Head’s destructive hundred was the driving force behind Hyderabad’s imposing total.
The South Australian added 108 runs off 49 balls with his opening partner Abhishek Sharma (34, 22b) and 57 off 26 balls with Klaasen for the second wicket as the hosts’ bowlers wilted under sustained firing.
Head’s batting does not carry the traditional elegance of a left-hander but he more than compensates it with effectiveness.
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