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.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad players greet each other after Bengaluru won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, in Hyderabad, Thursday, April 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori feels that after mastering the art of setting totals, it’s time his team brushes up on its chasing abilities as the business end of the Indian Premier League approaches.

SRH are currently third in the leaderboard with five wins from eight games. Of the five victories, four have come batting first.

“We have been successful setting totals and now we have to look at how well we are in chasing,” Vettori said after the 35-run loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru here on Thursday night.

RCB posted a challenging 206 for 7 after opting to bat and then restricted SRH to 171 for 8.

For a team that has breached the 250-run mark thrice this season, the target was easily gettable but a rare failure of the top and middle-order cost the hosts dearly.

“Obviously, disappointing one where we have come from in the last four games; we played some really good cricket and even though we lost, you could see if we had some wickets at the back end, we could have still chased it down,” Vettori said at the post-match press conference.

“Those early wickets broke everything. We were confident for the scores we were being able to put up. We though that 206 was a good score, we probably let a few runs in the field. But there was confidence in the group because of past performances.

“We also knew it was being set up by the openers and how good they have played, and today they had an off day and that’s cricket,” he said.

The former New Zealand cricketer said there are no easy games in IPL.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the support through the middle stages. It’s a tough loss but we understand every team in the IPL can beat every team. There are no easy games at all,” Vettori said.

The coach was of the view that the role of an anchor has no significance in high-scoring matches.

“I think the wicket was still pretty good. The guys who came off said that it is a surface where you can score on. Anchor role when you are chasing 207 it is hard to come, you obviously need to be aggressive. For some to sit along and play anchor role is a little bit tricky.”

RCB all-rounder Swapnil Singh, meanwhile, was relieved after his side snapped its six-match losing streak.

“Experience was good but we won the game that was more important. When you win a game, the tempo in the team changes. It feels good. Last two games we missed by small difference but still long way to go,” he said.

Swapnil said they felt the target was enough on this wicket despite SRH boasting of a super-aggressive batting order.

“The ball was stopping. Our main aim was to spin the ball and bowl slower as a fast bowler. It helped, we knew that they will come hard at us and obviously they did.

“Yes, we felt so because the wicket was stopping when we were batting as well and dew was not there,” he said.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru players Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar are seen in action during the Indian Premier League 2024 match in Hyderabad on April 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: R. Ragu

Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a stunning all-round performance to upset crowd-favourite Sunrisers Hyderabad, registering a 35-run victory in their IPL league match, at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Thursday.

The visitors’ performance also served a reminder that the SRH batting line-up can be brittle in the face of accurate, if not unplayable, bowling and also raised hopes for other teams as the championship heads for the business-end.

Chasing 207 for victory, the home team was straightaway under pressure with Will Jacks inducing a poor stroke from the dangerous Impact Player Travis Head off the sixth ball of the innings.

Soon, fellow-opener Abhishek Sharma’s cameo ended, mistiming a pull off Yash Dayal only to be caught behind, before SRH’s Impact Player, the left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh, trapped Aiden Markram leg-before with a low full-toss.

RCB was back on top again when Heinrich Klaasen, who had hit the previous ball from Swapnil for a six over long-on, perished trying to repeat the stroke off the next.

Later, leg-spinner Karn Sharma had Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled, missing a reverse sweep, and then took a smart return catch to send back the dangerous Abdul Samad to reduce SRH to 85 for six in 9.1 overs. The rest of the innings was a formality as RCB notched up a much-needed victory.

Coming good

Earlier, Rajat Patidar’s brilliance at the top of the order, an unusually slow half-century by Virat Kohli, and a cameo in the final overs by Cameron Green helped Royal Challengers score a challenging 206 for seven.

Though Kohli struggled to get going after all his boundaries came within the first six overs, Patidar compensated by scoring a 20-ball half-century that included four sixes off leg-spinner Mayank Markande in the 11th over of the innings.

Jaydev Unadkat was the pick of the SRH bowlers with a three-wicket haul, including the prize scalps of Patidar and Kohli. RCB scored 64 runs from the last five overs, mainly due to some lusty blows from Green.