Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Heinrich Klaasen plays a shot during the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League 2024, at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on April 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), which is having one of its more fruitful seasons in the cash-rich domestic league with five wins from eight matches, entered the IPL record books for the most number of sixes hit in a single season, at 100. The feat was achieved during the clash with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 25.

Though the Sunrisers went down to Bengaluru on April 25, tasting only their third defeat this IPL season, they posted the unique record for clearing the fence the most times in a single season. The Sunrisers have lit up the ongoing 17th season of the gilded, cash-rich domestic T20 league with their batting fireworks, with the likes of Aussie dasher Travis Head and his opening partner Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen, who has emerged as the team’s middle-order bulwark this season, flattening rival attacks with their ferocious assaults. The Hyderabad-based franchise achieved the landmark of striking 100 sixes in just their eighth match in the ongoing IPL season.Even in the 2022 season, the Sunrisers raised hopes of achieving the landmark but fell agonisingly short at 97 sixes.

Earlier, on April 25, the RCB won the toss and elected to bat first. Skipper Faf Du Plessis (25) and Virat Kohli got the team off to a blazing start in the powerplay. After a slowdown in scoring post-powerplay, Rajat Patidar (50) injected fresh impetus into the RCB’s innings.Virat was dismissed for 51 in 43 balls, with four boundaries and a six, failing to capitalise on his fine start during the powerplay. Despite some quick wickets, cameos from Cameron Green (37*) and Swapnil Singh (12*) took RCB to 206/7 in their 20 overs. Jaydev Unadkat (3/30) and T Natrajan (2/39) were the top bowlers for SRH.

Pat Cummins and Mayank Markande took a wicket each. In the run-chase, SRH kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Except for Abhishek Sharma (31), none of the previous heroes for SRH, be it Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, or Nitish Reddy made an impact. Skipper Cummins (31) and Shahbaz Ahmed (40) did put up a fight, but SRH was skittled out for 171 in their 20 overs. Green (2/12) and Karn Sharma (2/29) were the top bowlers for RCB. Swapnil Singh also took two wickets for 40 runs. Will Jacks and Yash Dayal also got a wicket each. RCB is at the bottom of the points table with two wins, seven losses and four points. SRH is at the third spot with five wins, three losses and 10 points.

Travis Head’s destructive hundred fused splendidly with skipper Pat Cummins’ resolve as Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a well-crafted 25-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring affair here on Monday.

Head’s maiden T20 hundred (102, 41b, 9×4, 8×6) and Heinrich Klaasen’s pillaging 67 (31b, 2×4, 7×6) drove Sunrisers to a record-breaking 287 for three, also going past their own 277/3 against Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad this March 27.

The visiting bowlers led by Cummins (3/43) showed superb skill level on a barren pitch, something their counterparts lacked, to restrict RCB to 262 for seven. This IPL match also witnessed the highest cumulative runs scored –549 in any single T20 match.

Skipper Faf du Plessis (62, 28b, 7×4, 4×6) and the super-improvising Dinesh Karthik (83, 35b, 5×4, 7×6) played fine hands but on the night they ended as mere footnotes.

However, RCB began their chase of 288 with gusto with Du Plessis and Virat Kohli (42, 20b, 6×4, 2×6) making 50 in just 3.5 overs, bettering SRH’s timing for their 50 in 4.3 overs.

The Faf-Kohli pair reached 79 in the Power Play overs and 80 in 6.2 overs but the introduction of leg-spinner Mayank Markande changed the complexion of the game.

Kohli’s attempt to slog sweep Markande saw the ball sneaking under his bat to rattle the stumps. From that point, the Royal Challengers lost four wickets in the span of 41 runs to slip to 121 for four that also saw a steep climb in the asking rate.

The fourth wicket to fall during that phase was that of Du Plessis. The South African batter smashed Cummins for a four and six in successive balls but feathered a well-directed slower bouncer to Klaasen behind the stumps.

In the same over, the Aussie pacer also trapped Saurav Chauhan in front of the wicket for a naught.

Karthik and Mahipal Lomror (19), who together punished Markande for 25 runs in his last over, milked 59 runs off 29 balls for the sixth wicket, and the former also made 63 for the seventh wicket with Anuj Rawat as RCB moved along briskly.

But in the end, it was sufficient only to provide some artificial excitement to the full house.

Earlier, Head’s destructive hundred was the driving force behind Hyderabad’s imposing total.

The South Australian added 108 runs off 49 balls with his opening partner Abhishek Sharma (34, 22b) and 57 off 26 balls with Klaasen for the second wicket as the hosts’ bowlers wilted under sustained firing.

Head’s batting does not carry the traditional elegance of a left-hander but he more than compensates it with effectiveness.

His innings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was a telltale example of the simple principles he follows in batting — anything in his hitting arc will disappear far and wide.

The 30-year-old displayed that chilling efficiency against RCB pacers Reece Topley and debutant Lockie Ferguson, who walked in for out-of-form of Glenn Maxwell.

But Ferguson’s first over was an eminently forgettable one, conceding 18 runs. The Kiwi pacer slanted one to Head’s pads and it was flicked over square leg for a six.

Ferguson tried for course correction in the next ball, going a wee bit short.

But Head was up for the challenge, hoisting the ball over mid-on for a massive maximum.

In between, Abhishek, who also played a couple of fine shots, fell to Topley, an uppish flick snaffled by Ferguson at square leg.

But that brought together Head and Klaasen together as RCB were put under the cosh further by SRH’s second-wicket pair.

Head soon fetched his hundred with a brutally-driven boundary off pacer Vysakh Vijayakumar.

However, he perished soon as a mistimed slice off Ferguson was taken by Du Plessis at mid-off.

But the dismissal did not slow down Hyderabad as Klaasen assumed the role of battering ram, bringing up his fifty in just 23 balls.

As is his wont, the South African was severe on spinners and clobbered the part-time left-arm spin of Mahipal Lomror for 18 runs in his only over.

SRH soon went past their own record score of 277 despite Klaasen getting dismissed by Ferguson.

The landmark moment came when Aiden Markram (32, 17b) took a single off Vysakh to long-off.

Markram also added 56 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket alliance with Abdul Samad (37, 10b, 4×4, 3×6) as Hyderabad also smoked 22 sixes, the highest in an IPL innings.

Scoreboard

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: Abhishek Sharma c Ferguson b Topley 34 (22b, 2×4, 2×6), Travis Head c du Plessis b Ferguson 102 (41b, 9×4, 8×6), Heinrich Klaasen c Vyshak b Ferguson 67 (31b, 2×4, 7×6), Aiden Markram (not out) 32 (17b, 2×4, 2×6), Abdul Samad (not out) 37 (10b, 4×4, 3×6); Extras (lb-2, nb-1, w-12): 15

Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 287; Wickets: 1-108 (Abhishek, 8.1 overs), 2-165 (Head, 12.3), 3-231 (Klaasen, 16.6).

Bowling: Jacks 3-0-32-0, Topley 4-0-68-1, Dayal 4-0-51-0, Ferguson 4-0-52-2, Vyshak 4-0-64-0, Lomror 1-0-18-0.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli b Markande 42 Faf du Plessis c Klaasen b Cummins 62 Will Jacks run out 7 Rajat Patidar c Nitish Reddy b Markande 9 Saurav Chauhan lbw b Cummins 0 Dinesh Karthik c Klaasen b Natarajan 83 Mahipal Lomror b Cummins 19 Anuj Rawat not out 25 Vijaykumar Vyshak not out 1 Extras: (B-1, W-13) 14

Total: (For 7 wkts, 20 overs) 262; Wickets: 1-80, 2-100, 3-111, 4-121, 5-122, 6-181, 7-244.

Bowling: Abhishek Sharma 1-0-10-0, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-60-0, Shahbaz Ahmed 1-0-18-0, T Natarajan 4-0-47-1, Pat Cummins 4-0-43-3, Mayank Markande 4-0-46-2, Jaydev Unadkat 2-0-37-0.