Match 35 of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) witnessed another convincing win from Sunrisers Hyderabad as they defeated Delhi Capitals by an 67-run margin at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on April 20.
SRH Top-Order Run Riot
Choosing to field first after winning the toss, Delhi Capitals were taken aback by the relentless assault they faced right from the start.
It was an onslaught as SRH's opening batters, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, aggressively attacked, catching the DC bowlers off guard. The sheer power hitting left the spectators amazed as SRH achieved the highest powerplay score ever recorded in T20 cricket history. Travis Head smashed the fastest fifty of the year in just 16 deliveries, propelling SRH to 125/0 by the end of the powerplay.
Abhishek Sharma also came close to matching the remarkable record of a 12-ball fifty set by Indian cricket legend Yuvraj Singh, departing after a blistering 46 runs off 12 balls.
Both openers displayed fearless cricket, showing little concern for personal milestones. Despite his dismissal, Head's innings of 89 off 32 balls earned him a standing ovation from the home crowd.
The explosive knocks resulted in SRH registering their 3rd 250 score for the season, a mammoth 266/7 in their 20 overs.
McGurk's 18-ball 65 In Vain
Chasing which, Delhi had to do the same SRH, start with a bang. However, despite a great opening over courtesy of Prithvi Shaw's 5-ball 16, Delhi batters failed to deliver on the night.
Jake Frazer McGurk was the only highlight for the hosts in the chase as his superb 18-ball 65 got DC into a commanding position at one point of the innings.
However, wickets in quick succession saw the batters crumble under pressure. the likes of DC skipper Rishabh Pant also failed to perform on the night as the wicketkeeper-batter had a return to forget at his home ground.
4 wickets from T Natarajan and 2 wickets from Mayank Markande did the job for the visitors in the chase as SRH took the 2nd spot in the points table with their 5th win of the tournament.
Also Read: IPL 2024: Records Take A Tumble As SRH Top Order Run Riot In Delhi