A historic match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chinnaswamy Stadium saw a total of 549 runs being scored. Records were smashed as Hyderabad managed to get over the line by a very small margin, despite registering the highest-ever total in the history of the Indian Premier League and also in franchise cricket. It was a nightmare for the bowlers out in the middle but an absolute treat for the fans in the stadium and also those who enjoyed it on the screen.
Batting first, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head wreaked havoc right from the start as the duo hit 76 runs in the powerplay. Head completed his half-century in the powerplay and continued with his aggressive approach as he eventually hit 102 runs off just 41 deliveries.
After he walked back to the pavilion, Heinrich Klaasen took care of the business and smacked 67 runs off 31 deliveries. Towards the fag end, Aiden Markram and Abdul Samad hit 32* runs and 37* runs respectively as SRH posted 287 runs in the first innings.
Also Read – Shot of the Day – Heinrich Klaasen launches Lockie Ferguson out of Chinnaswamy
When it came to the chase, Virat Kohli and captain Faf du Plessis showed that they are in the mood to chase it down, which is a positive sign. Kohli gave the perfect start possible as he made 42 runs off 20 deliveries but unfortunately got out to Mayank Markande, who had a terrific night despite leaking 46 runs in his four overs. Faf hit 62 runs off 28 deliveries but the middle order once again failed to step up.
However, Dinesh Karthik was the man who eventually brought RCB closer to the target. At a time when it was certain that RCB would go down, Karthik smashed 83 runs off 35 deliveries to keep the hots in the game. However, it wasn’t enough as RCB lost by 25 runs. Nevertheless, their batting performance deserves a lot of appreciation.
1. SRH teaching modern-day T20 cricket
Test cricket changed with the introduction of Bazball. ODI cricket changed with the introduction of two new balls to start with and T20I cricket changed ever since IPL 2024 auction took place. SRH built a team that only knows one way to play cricket and that is by hammering opponent bowlers. Against RCB, Travis Head started the show, and the entire team played in the same manner, which helped them post the highest-ever total in franchise cricket history. That seems to be the template for modern-day T20 cricket and the other teams will have to adopt that to do well.
2. Part-time commentator shows that he still has it
Kevin Pietersen on air called it that he hasn’t seen a commentator play so well before. Dinesh Karthik is rewriting T20 cricket. Hitting 83 runs off 35 deliveries is definitely impressive but what’s more impressive is the kind of shots he’s playing. The veteran cricketer isn’t shy of hitting switch hits, reverse scoops and everything that’s possible. Indian cricketers of his age don’t experiment much but Karthik is built different.
3. Fanbase are part of the problem
It is high time to address that the RCB fanbase are a part of the problem. They question RCB management almost every day for having a poor auction but when they turn up in the stadium, things suddenly change. Even when SRH were dominating with the bat, RCB fans were on top of their voice cheering for their team – which is a good sign but at one point, they will have to question the management.
Despite investing so much money and energy, RCB management has failed to deliver for 16 years and in the 17th year, they have just won one out of seven matches. It is not acceptable for a franchise that charge a minimum of INR 3500 for one ticket. The fans need to protest now in the stadium or in front of the stadium. Things need to change for the betterment of RCB.
Losing captain Faf du Plessis said:
Much better (batting performance) from us, that was a proper t20 wicket. Just tried to get close in the end, but 280 was very far. It’s tough. We tried a few things, we tried different things. There’s no way to hide when your confidence is low. The fast bowlers found it quite difficult out there. Similar to the batting perspective, we need to work on few areas. Need to make sure the run rate doesn’t go down after powerplay. The guys put up their hand and never gave up (in the run chase). It was good to see the fight, 30-40 runs from the bowling perspective was a bit too much. It’s important to go away and freshen your mind, it’s such a mental game. Sometimes you feel your mind is going to explode. When you get back to the contest you have to give full commitment.
Winning captain Pat Cummins said:
Wish I was a batter. Wonderful game of cricket. Amazing scenes. Good fun. You try your best. If you bowl an over of 7 or 8, you can have an impact on the game. I have given up trying to read the wicket. Chinnaswamy looked dry. Really happy. Four wins now. The batters have gone about it having a smile on their faces.
POTM Travis Head said:
Had some food, had a shower. Exciting game again after the Mumbai game. Played beautifully. We thought we had to adapt in the first six overs. But we had the batting order and they had the license to after the bowlers. We compliment each other well. He is a young guy. We fed off each other’s confidence. Pleased with how I hit the ball today.
Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:
