The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are on a roll in the 2024 Indian Premier League, as they shattered the highest total in the tournament’s history for the second time in just 17 days. This historic achievement came on April 15 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The Sunrisers blazed their way to a monumental total of 287 runs, the highest-ever in the IPL and the second-highest in the annals of T20 cricket, falling just behind Nepal’s colossal 314 against Mongolia at last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The headline act of this batting spectacle was none other than Travis Head, who delivered a performance of a lifetime. Head raced to his first T20 century off a mercurial 39 deliveries, etching his name in the record books with the fourth fastest century in IPL history. His century sits behind the whirlwind knocks of Chris Gayle, Yusuf Pathan, and David Miller, with Gayle’s 30-ball hundred being the quickest to date. Head’s batting was nothing short of explosive, treating the RCB bowlers with sheer disdain and batting as if it were his final outing in the game of cricket.
The pitch, a true belter, served as a battleground where Head, followed by the explosive Heinrich Klaasen, unleashed a relentless assault on the opposition. In a display of sheer power and precision, the Sunrisers hammered an unprecedented 22 sixes in their innings, the highest number by any team in a single IPL match. Complementing the carnage, Abdul Samad, with his blistering 37* off 10 balls, added the finishing touches that took the SRH innings to unparalleled heights.
Given the nature of Head’s onslaught, and the supporting act by the SRH batsmen, the bowling figures of the RCB were not for the faint-hearted. The day clearly belonged to the Sunrisers, who seemed to find every gap and clear the boundary with a nonchalance that comes with complete dominance.
The historic innings left fans and pundits in awe, rewriting the top batting tallies in IPL history. SRH now sits atop the list with their 287/3, followed by their own previous best of 277/3 scored earlier in the 2024 season against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Hyderabad. Prior performances have been pushed down the list, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) scoring 272/7 against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Visakhapatnam in 2024, and RCB’s 263/5 against Pune Warriors India (PWI) in Bengaluru in 2013 now trailing behind.
The remarkable innings has raised the bar for T20 cricket and is a testament to the unpredictable and exhilarating nature of the IPL, where records are not just broken, but obliterated. SRH’s display of batting prowess on that fateful night at Bengaluru has not only etched their name in the history books but has also set a daunting benchmark for teams to aspire to in the seasons to come.
With high expectations for the remainder of the season, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, courtesy of Travis Head’s belligerent ton and their overall knack for shattering records, have cemented their position as a formidable batting force that can dismantle any bowling lineup on their day. As the IPL 2024 season progresses, all eyes will be on SRH to see if they can continue this wave of extraordinary performances and take their team to new heights.
