SRH vs MI IPL 2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Mumbai Indians by 31 runs in a high-scoring IPL match

Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Heinrich Klaasen celebrates his half century during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal, in Hyderabad, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (PTI Photo)(PTI03_27_2024_000281B)

Writing was on the wall after Sunrisers Hyderabad posted the Indian Premier League record 277 for three against Mumbai Indians in their first home match of the season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. SRH won the match by 31 runs despite a 200+ strike rate by four MI batters.

Chasing an IPL record 278, MI put on 246/5 in 20 runs – the highest second innings score in the tournament history.

Well begin not half one for MI

With MI left to score more than 14 runs per over, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan maintained a scoring rate of almost 17 as long as they were together. There are few clean hitters of the ball in world cricket than Rohit; and Ishan rose to the occasion to match his senior partner stroke for stroke, drive for drive.

For MI, 56 runs off 3.1 overs was a good beginning. Need of the hour was not just a good strike rate, but also big partnerships. The latter did not happen for MI. Ishan (34, 13b, 2 fours, 4 sixes) and Rohit (26, 12 ball, 1 four, 3 sixes) departed in a span of 10 runs - from 56 for no loss to 66 for 2.

Pressure of a big asking rate

Pressure of the big asking rate was telling on MI even on the pitch laced heavily with runs. MI did not have the liberty to play many dot balls, or plan their innings with patience. Urgency to go after every ball curtailed big partnerships.

Ishan, Rohit, Naman Dhir (30, 14b, 2 fours, 2 sixes) and Tilak Varma (64, 34b, 2 fours, 6 sixes) – all gave away their wickets while attempting to hit over the fielders. The batters can't be blamed for their choice after MI had lost more than half the battle while bowling.

Better death over bowling by SRH

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaidev Unadkat, Mayank Markande and skipper Cummins managed to apply a check on the flow of boundaries from 12th to 16th overs, enabling SRH to capitalise on some outstanding work by their batters. Thereafter, several big heaves by Tim David, clearing the ropes cleanly, have no big significance than entertainment quotient and a contribution towards MI’s NRR equation, if needed in later stages of the tournament.

Best resource Bumrah’s not used well

There was a lot of talk around holding Japrit Bumrah for Heinrich Klaasen, the most devastating batter in SRH line-up. Pandya didn’t make dynamic calls to check the early onslaught with Bumrah.

Brought in to bowl the fourth over, Bumrah teased and tested openers Mayank Agarwal and Travis Head, conceding only five after the first three had gone for 40 and 17-year-old debutant Kwena Maphaka had conceded 22 in the previous one. Bumrah could have been tried for one more over to disrupt the momentum.

Hardik stuck with the plan to retain Bumrah for Klaasen. By the time the South African batter arrived in the middle, SRH had rushed to 161/3 in 11 overs. Bumrah remained the most economical bowler for SRH, but his four overs at 9.00 economy were too little and too late to control the damage inflicted by the SRH top order.

The SRH record lasts just 4.5 overs

Opener Travis Head had rushed to his 50 off just 18 deliveries, a record for Sunrisers Hyderabad that lasted for just 4.5 overs. Abhishek Sharma touched the half-century mark off just 16 deliveries, albeit still three deliveries more than Yashaswi Jaiswal’s IPL record.

Head (62) set the tempo for the big SRH total as Pandya opted to field first. The Aussie batter showed little respect to the bowlers, except Bumrah, in his brief but highly productive 24-ball stay in the middle. He had slammed nine fours and three sixes, when Klaasen had him caught by Namar Dhir at deep backward point.

Next man in, Abhishek was even harsher on the MI bowlers. Going for a big heave off Piyush Chawla, Abhishek was caught at deep midwicket by Dhir. Before that he had slammed seven sixes, and three fours to realise 64 in just 23 balls. His dismissal was the last occasion in the innings for the visitors to laugh.

Klaasen onslaught at last

In their pre-match planning, MI have prepared for Klaasen the most. The plan failed as the Protea arrived in the middle on a cushion of 161/3, scored at nearly 15 runs per over.

Klaasen made his intentions clear by hitting Shams Mulane over the long-off fence off the first ball he faced. He showed little respect for bowlers, Bumrah being the lone exception, to post an unbeaten 80 (34b, 4 fours, 7 sixes) and guide SRH to an IPL record 277/3.

In the 116-run, unfinished stand for the fourth wicket, Aiden Markram appeared a calm spectator in spite of his 28-ball 42* (2 fours, 1 six) and a strike rate of 150.

Bowler Pandya has miles to go

Pandya looked clueless, smiling in frustration!, to control the SRH charge. As a bowler, he was far from his best in the match against his former franchisee Gujarat Titans. Still he went on to bowl the second over today.

Despite an early success in the form of Mayank Agarwal, Pandya might well stop himself counting as a frontline MI bowler, at least for the time being.

SRH managed to post a total worthy of an assured win despite a batter-friendly pitch and MI’s batting might. The result ensured that all the eight matches in IPL 2024 so far have been won by the home team.