Hyderabad: The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was witness to a batting carnage on Wednesday evening.
Sunrisers Hyderabad rewrote the IPL record books by piling up 277/3 in 20 overs – highest-ever total in the 17-year history of the T20 league.
At the receiving end were five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Mayank Agarwal (11) fell cheaply, but fellow-opener Travis Head, young Indian Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen produced a scintillating display of power hitting that brooked no resistance.
Head, the swashbuckling Australian, smashed 62 off 24 balls (9×4, 3×6) to record the fastest fifty by a Hyderabad batter. But soon, that record was captured by 23-year-old allrounder Abhishek. The left-hander bludgeoned 3 fours and 7 sixes in his 23-ball 63 as the duo plundered 68 runs in 3.4 overs!
After the two were dismissed, there was no respite for Mumbai as Heinrich Klaasen took centrestage. It continued to rain fours and sixes as the South African wicketkeeper-batter raced to 80 not out off just 34 balls with 4 fours and 7 sixes.
Klaasen, along with another South African Aiden Markram (42 not out off 28 balls), added 116 runs in the last 9 overs to set Mumbai Indians a massive target.
The redoubtable Jasprit Bumrah was Mumbai’s best bowler, but even he went wicketless, conceding 36 runs in 4 overs.
The other bowlers, including skipper Hardik Pandya, didn’t know where to hide.
That Sunrisers Hyderabad batters struck 19 fours and 18 sixes in the 20-over innings reflects the kind of mauling Mumbai bowlers were subjected to.
TOP FIVE TOTALS IN IPL HISTORY
277/3 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians (27/3/2024, Hyderabad), Strike Rate 13.85
263/5 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Pune Warriors (23/4/2013, Bengaluru), Strike Rate 13.15
257/5 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings (28/4/2023, Mohali), Strike Rate 12.85
248/3 — Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Lions (14/5/2016, Bengaluru), Strike Rate 12.4
246/5 – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (3/4/2010, Chennai), Strike Rate 12.3.
