In the eighth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by 31 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
Hardik Pandya, captain of MI, elected to field first after winning the toss. This match held immense significance for veteran batter, Rohit Sharma, who made his 200th appearance for MI in the IPL, becoming the first player to achieve this feat for the franchise.
Both teams opted for changes in their starting lineups, MI introduced a young South African speedster, Kwena Maphaka, while SRH gave IPL debut to Travis Head and brought Jaydev Unadkat.
SRH batters went on a record-breaking spree against MI. Debutant opener Travis Head (62) took the bowlers to the cleaners, smashing the fastest-ever IPL fifty for SRH off 18 balls. The carnage didn’t stop there, as young Indian allrounder Abhishek Sharma (63) followed suit, rewriting the record for the fastest IPL fifty for SRH off 20 deliveries later. This phenomenal batting display continued throughout the innings. Later, a record-breaking partnership between Aiden Markram (42*) and Heinrich Klaasen (80*) added the finishing touches. Klaasen’s knock put him at the top of the orange cap race, while their 116-run stand became the highest-ever fourth-wicket or lower partnership for SRH. The onslaught culminated in a mammoth 277/3, the highest score in IPL history.
MI required a record chase for victory and started their pursuit in explosive fashion. Openers Rohit Sharma (26) and Ishan Kishan (34) got them off to a flying start, reaching a fifty-run partnership in just three overs. However, quick wickets to Shahbaz Ahmed and Pat Cummins halted their momentum. Just when it seemed Mumbai might lose their way, a crucial 84-run stand between Tilak Verma and Naman Dhir (30) steadied the ship. Their aggressive batting kept the run rate healthy, with Mumbai reaching an impressive 141 for 2 wickets at the halfway mark – the second-highest score by any team at that stage in the IPL. Unfortunately for MI, the dismissal of Verma by Cummins proved to be a turning point. Hyderabad’s bowlers tightened their grip, with Unadkat stifling the run flow in the death overs. Despite fighting valiantly, MI fell short by 31 runs.
Abhishek Sharma was named Player of the Match for his explosive knock of 63 runs off 23 balls (3 fours, 7 sixes) at a scorching strike rate of 274. This win propelled the Orange Army to open their account in the league table and climb to the third spot.
Scorecard:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 277/3, Overs 20, Heinrich Klaasen (80*), Hardik Pandya 1/46
Mumbai Indians: 246/5, Overs 20, Tilak Verma 64, Pat Cummins 2/35