IPL 2024: HOW SUNRISERS HYDERABAD SMASHED THE IPL BARRIER AGAINST MUMBAI INDIANS

Records tumble as Sunrisers clinch high-scoring tie against Mumbai Indians

HYDERABAD: On a night that saw the record for the highest score in IPL being eclipsed, it all boiled down to nerves. Sunrisers Hyderabad gave their faithful at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium plenty to cheer with their 277 for three, riding on the batting brilliance of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. And they snuffed out a gallant chase by restricting Mumbai Indians to 246/5 and won by 31 runs.

Under the pump after deciding to field, Hardik Pandya and Co. launched an equally blistering counter-attack. With Ishan Kishan leading the charge on a Wednesday, when Hyderabad or Hyderabadi seemed to be the flavour of the day, Thakur Tilak Varma's 64 (34b) kept Mumbai in the game but the chase proved a tall order in a match that produced 523 runs.

Klaasen hit a 34-ball unbeaten 80, along with record half-centuries from Head (62 off 24b) and Abhishek Sharma (63 off 23) as the hosts ran the Mumbai attack ragged.

Head made Mumbai Indians pay for a dropped chance by scoring the third joint-fastest IPL fifty in 18 balls before Abhishek bettered it in a span of minutes with a 16-ball half-century. The hosts surpassed the previous record of 263/5 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in 2013. Klaasen continued his rampaging form, adding an unbeaten 116 runs with Aiden Markram (42*) for the fourth wicket.

When it was Mumbai's turn to bat, Tilak took his side past 100 runs in the eight over. He hit Shahbaz Ahmed for three sixes in the 10th over as the visitors posted 141/2 in 10, seven runs short of the hosts at the same stage.

However, Cummins dismissed Tilak (64 off 34b) in the 15th over to dent the visitors' chances. Though Tim David hit a fighting 42, the asking rate was always out of reach.

Earlier, Head hit debutant Kwena Maphaka for 6, 6, 4, 4 to amass 22 runs in the third over of the innings.

After Mayank Agarwal's dismissal, Head smashed Gerald Coetzee for two boundaries and a six to reach his half-century and take the hosts to 81/1 in powerplay, their best in IPL so far.

Abhishek joined Head with some lusty blows. He hit Piyush Chawla for three sixes in the seventh over to take Sunrisers past 100-run mark.

Head departed chasing a wide delivery off Coetzee after adding 68 with Abhishek who then took the centre stage and broke his record.

Klaasen didn't take long to join the party. He pulled Bumrah for a six to take the hosts to 200-run mark in the 15th over and put the hosts on way to a record total. While Klaasen reached half-century in 23 deliveries, Markram' remained unbeaten on 42.

The SRH attack did well to not the batting effort go waste.