Pat Cummins’ side broke a 11-year-old record that was scripted by Royal Challengers Bengaluru who scored 263 in 20 overs against the now defunct Pune Warriors.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is not even a week old and it has already made the headlines for reasons on and off the ground. On Wednesday (27), the tournament stormed the headlines for another reason when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) scripted an absolute carnage in the eighth game of the tournament played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad by posting a mammoth 277 for 3 in their 20 overs against Mumbai Indians (MI).
It was the highest total posted in the 16-year history of the T20 tournament and eclipsed the previous highest of 263 for 5 that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Bangalore) had scored against the now-defunct Pune Warriors at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in 2013. In that game, former West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle had slammed an unbelievable 175 not out in just 66 balls, which still remains the highest individual score in IPL. Pune could manage only 133 for 9 in their 20 overs to lose by 130 runs.
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On Wednesday, there was no three-figure knock, however, in the SRH innings. South African wicket-keeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen blasted 84 not out in just 34 balls with the help of seven sixes and four fours while Abhishek Sharma made 63 in 23 balls and Australian Travis Head 62 off 24 balls. Aiden Markram remained not out on 42 in 28 balls.
Klaasen scored 63 in 29 balls in the previous game against Kolkata Knight Riders but his team lost by just four runs while chasing 209.
Hyderabad scored 148 runs in the first 10 overs, which is also a record in IPL, after Mumbai won the toss and asked them to bat first.
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All MI bowlers went for runs and the best economy was produced by Jasprit Bumrah who conceded 36 runs in four overs but went wicketless. Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya, who came under the scanner after the team’s six-run loss against Gujarat Titans in their previous match, also opened the bowling in this game with South African pacer Kwena Maphaka while Bumrah came at first change.
Hyderabad eventually won the match by 31 runs after Mumbai gave a fight to reach 246 for 5 in their 20 overs with Tilak Varma top scoring with 64 in 34 balls. It was the five-time champions’ second loss in the tournament in as many matches.
For the Hyderabad bowlers, captain Pat Cummins and left-arm pacer Jayadev Unadkat took two wickets each.
Last year, Lucknow Super Giants came close to eclipsing RCB’s decade-old record when they made 257 for 5 against Punjab Kings in Mohali and won by 56 runs.
Here are the five highest team totals in IPL:
277/3 – SRH vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024
263/5 – RCB vs PWI, Bengaluru, 2013
257/5 – LSG vs PBKS, Mohali, 2023
248/3 – RCB vs GL, Bengaluru, 2016
246/5 – CSK vs RR, Chennai, 2010