Tata IPL 2024 Match 57, SRH vs LSG – Match Report
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) registered a 10-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The explosive batting of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma dominated all day and continued to show why SRH’s batting is the most dangerous in the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The target of 166 was chased down in 9.4 overs – a fact that sums up SRH’s batting performance of the day.
SRH’s pyrotechnics were on display in the powerplay – a phase they have generally dominated throughout the tournament. SRH scored 107 runs in the powerplay alone – which effectively won them the game. LSG’s bowlers had no margin for error as the left-handed opening pair looked intent on dominating the day.
The most surprising thing about his feat is that he scored only eight runs in the first over. In the second over, Abhishek gave his best performance by hitting four fours off Yash Thakur. When K Gautam came to bowl third – Head scored 22 runs – three sixes and a four. This forced KL Rahul to bring in Ravi Bishnoi in the fourth over – a move that did not deter SRH as the runs continued to flow easily. When Naveen-ul-Haq came in for the fifth over, Head maintained that pace and completed his half-century in 16 balls. That over also went for 23 runs.
Just one of them Travis Head starts #SRH Chasing the target 64/0!
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– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 8 May 2024
Thakur bowled the last over of the powerplay and Abhishek equalized with a head shot to take SRH past 100. When the field spread out, many felt that LSG would get some relief. That was not the case as Head slog-swept the first ball of the seventh over over midwicket for a six. After this Abhishek completed his half-century by hitting a six over long on.
Stand up and admire this incredible blow
Every ball is being sent to Hyderabad!
watch the match live @StarSportsIndia And @JioCinema #TATAIPL , #SRHVLSG pic.twitter.com/df08w0pzMG
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 8 May 2024
The borders kept flowing from both ends. It didn’t matter who came to bowl, because Head and Abhishek were batting as if they had to chase down the target in 10 overs. The victory was achieved when Abhishek hit Thakur for a powerful six over cover. Head remained unbeaten on 89 runs on 30 balls and Abhishek remained unbeaten on 75 runs on 28 balls. SRH’s innings contained 16 fours and 14 sixes. As indicated by their bowling figures, LSG’s bowlers had a day to forget.
What. A. chase
10-wicket win for @Sunrisers With more than overs remaining!
Scorecard https://t.co/46Rn0QwHfi#TATAIPL , #SRHVLSG pic.twitter.com/kOxzoKUpXK
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 8 May 2024
Earlier, SRH bowlers had done well to restrict LSG to 165 runs by taking wickets at regular intervals and jolting their top order. LSG could reach that score only due to the good partnership of Ayush Badoni (55 not out on 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (48 not out on 26 balls). An unbeaten 99-run partnership dominated the last 10 overs of their innings. This was in stark contrast to the way LSG’s innings progressed in the first 10.
In the early overs, Bhuveshwar Kumar brought all his experience to put pressure on LSG’s batting. He conceded only seven runs in his first three overs and took the first two wickets of Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis. This was evident from the score at the end of the powerplay – which was 27 for two. LSG had to rebuild with Krunal Pandya and KL Rahul.
@Sunrisers Fielding performance has been below par!#lsg Lost Marcus Stoinis inside the powerplay.
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– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 8 May 2024
Pandya decided to change gears in the eighth over when he targeted Jaydev Unadkat and hit two sixes. However, LSG were still scoring less than a run-a-ball in total and the troubles worsened when Rahul fell on 29 – hitting a shot in the deep off Pat Cummins. Pandya was run out on 24 runs in the 12th over. Then Puran and Badoni came together.
1⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣ six inches #TATAIPL 2024
Krunal Pandya is leaving for Lucknow Super Giants
watch the match live @JioCinema And @StarSportsIndia #SRHVLSG pic.twitter.com/OcHvFJSXmq
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 8 May 2024
While Pooran showed his full application and experience, it was Badoni who brought the aggression and helped breathe life into the LSG innings. When T Natarajan was brought in for the 14th over, Badoni freely hit three fours. The 16-run over brought much-needed encouragement. What helped LSG was that both the batsmen managed to score more than 10 runs in each over from the 14th over onwards – except for Bhuvneshwar’s last over – which scored only five runs. Bhuvneshwar finished with a successful performance of two wickets for 12 runs – extraordinary figures considering what we saw later in the match.
Badoni completed his half-century in the final over – off just 28 balls. 34 runs were scored in the last two overs of the LSG innings – including 19 runs in the last over bowled by Cummins. This took the LSG to 165. If one puts his efforts in the first 10 into perspective, the recovery was remarkable and should have given him hope going into defence. But Head and Abhishek were very good that day.
