The Sunrisers Hyderabad are making it harder and harder for opposition bowlers to turn up against them, this IPL season. After twice breaking the record for the highest total in the history of Indian Premier League, Pat Cummins' side has notched up the highest-ever powerplay score in the league. (Match Blog | Scorecard)
Carnage ensued in the first six overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where SRH are taking on Delhi Capitals in match 35 of IPL 2024. SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma bludgeoned an astonishing 125 runs in the powerplay, far surpassing the previous record of 105 runs notched up by Kolkata Knight Riders against (then known as) Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2017.
Sixes and fours were so commonplace that it appeared like a highlights reel playing live, in real time. Abhishek smashed 46 runs off just 11 balls before Kuldeep Yadav dismissed him off his 12th, as the 23-year-old missed out on what could have been the fastest half-century in IPL.
Head had got to his fifty in the third over itself, and was eventually dismissed on 89 off a mere 32 balls. The DC bowlers did not know what hit them, as Lalit Yadav, Anrich Nortje and Mukesh Kumar all went for more than 20 runs per over in the powerplay.
It was ace left-arm spinner Kuldeep who brought some semblance of normality to proceedings, scalping the top three to halt the madness. But despite picking up three wickets, Kuldeep too went for 44 runs in his first three overs, thanks to ingenious six-hitting from Abhishek, Head, and later Heinrich Klaasen.
