In a sensational display of power-hitting, Travis Head’s maiden century off just 39 deliveries propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to an unprecedented team total of 287/3 in Match 30 of IPL 2024 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.
Opting to bat first on a batting-friendly Bengaluru pitch with short boundaries, Sunrisers’ openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma got off to a flying start. Despite RCB’s attempt to unsettle them by opening with offspinner Will Jacks, the duo remained unfazed.
Reece Topley bore the brunt in the second over of the Power-play, conceding 20 runs as Head unleashed an onslaught. The left-hander reached his fifty in just 20 balls, smashing three fours and five sixes.
Abhishek Sharma’s departure after contributing 34 off 22 deliveries did little to deter Head’s rampage. The Australian southpaw proceeded to smash the fastest century for Sunrisers Hyderabad, reaching the milestone in just 39 deliveries, eclipsing David Warner’s previous record.
Head’s blitzkrieg comprised nine fours and eight sixes before he fell for 102 off 41 balls to Lockie Ferguson’s delivery. His century, the fourth fastest in IPL history, ranks only behind Chris Gayle, Yusuf Pathan, and David Miller.
Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen continued the onslaught, with the latter reaching his half-century in a mere 23 balls. Klaasen’s departure after a blistering 67 from 31 balls didn’t halt Sunrisers’ momentum as Abdul Samad’s late onslaught of 37 runs off just 10 deliveries propelled them to a monumental total.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings was highlighted by a staggering 22 sixes, setting a new IPL record for the most sixes in an innings, surpassing the previous record set by Chris Gayle in 2013.
RCB’s pace-heavy bowling attack, sans a specialist spinner, was unable to contain the Sunrisers’ onslaught, with bowlers like Topley, Dayal, Ferguson, and Vyshak conceding 137 runs off their ten overs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s monumental total of 287/3 establishes a new benchmark in IPL history, underscoring their dominance in the clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
