By going all guns blazing from start to finish, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) set the perfect template for modern-day T20 cricket.
In the process, SRH broke records galore as it buried Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) under a mountain of runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday. With a hail of sixes and fours in a mammoth 287 for three, SRH posted the highest-ever total in IPL history, going past its own 277 for three gained earlier this season.
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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 - an apt indicator of an assault without conscience.
Opener Travis Head (102, 41b, 9x4, 8x6) got the ball rolling with the fourth-fastest IPL century. Head, who incidentally made his IPL debut with RCB in 2016, swung freely through the line.
Head and Abhishek Sharma (34, 22b, 2x4, 2x6) smacked 76 runs in the Powerplay. There was no respite for RCB when Abhishek was sent back in the ninth over, as another power hitter in Heinrich Klaasen walked in. That Klaasen was promoted up the order to do even greater damage spoke volumes about SRH’s unrelenting approach.
As SRH went hammer and tongs, the RCB attack resembled deer in the headlights. The bowlers had no idea how to grab even the odd dot ball, offering overpitched dollies and long hops in panic mode.
Aiden Markram (32 n.o., 17b, 2x4, 2x6) and Abdul Samad (37 n.o., 10b, 4x4, 3x6) helped themselves to the buffet in the death.
To its credit, RCB made a sparkling start to the chase. Virat Kohli (42, 20b, 6x4, 2x6) and Faf du Plessis (62, 28b, 7x4, 4x6), emboldened in the knowledge that there was no point in fiddling around, powered the side to 79 for no loss in six overs.
SRH, aware that Kohli has a suspect record against wrist spin, brought Impact Player Mayank Markande into the attack. Kohli alarmingly fell to a googly once again, completely missing an attempted slog sweep.
RCB was out of the race in the 10th over, when du Plessis was deceived by a slow bouncer from SRH skipper Pat Cummins. Dinesh Karthik (83,
35b, 5x4, 7x6) kept the crowd happy with some lusty blows, but there was no preventing RCB from slipping to a fifth straight loss.
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