It was a run feast for the ages at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy stadium on Monday, April 15, 2024, as Sunrisers Hyderabad emerged triumphant against the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 25 runs.
Travis Head slammed a 39-ball century, while Heinrich Klaasen continued his super showing with the bat to power SRH to a mammoth 287/3 -- the highest team total in IPL history.
But even that total looked in real danger of being overhauled as RCB made a spirited effort in the run chase courtesy Dinesh Karthik and Faf du Plessis.
It rained fours and sixes in Bengaluru as a total of 549 runs were scored -- the highest aggregate in a T20 match.
RCB vs SRH: The Best Knocks
Travis Head
Head blocked the first delivery he faced down the track. That was the only respite for the RCB bowlers as thereafter the SRH opener launched a brutal assault to leave the home fans stunned.
Timing the ball impeccably well from the onset, Head opened his boundary count in only the second ball he faced as he smashed Reece Topley through the leg side and followed it up with a maximum to set the tone in the Powerplay.
After two quiet overs from spinner Will Jacks, Head unleased a flurry of boundaries. RCB debutant Lockie Ferguson came into the attack in the fifth over and Head hammered the Kiwi pacer for back-to-back sixes.
Head showed no mercy towards Yash Dayal, taking 20 runs off the left-arm pacer to make most of the Powerplay. After hammering Dayal for two sixes, Head found the boundary ropes for a four to bring up his fifty inside the Powerplay off just 20 balls.
This was also his second fifty inside the Powerplay as the Australian left-hander continues to enjoy a dream season with the bat.
Head's 52 off 21 and Abhishek Sharma's 23 off 15 saw SRH put on 76 runs in the first six overs -- the most runs conceded by RCB in the Powerplay.
The SRH opener continued his lethal attack in the middle overs, as he hammered spinner Jacks for 4, 6, 6 off successive deliveries in the seventh over as SRH's power-packed batting line-up made merry on a batting-friendly pitch.
For the opening stand Head and Sharma scored 108 off 49. Head kept the boundaries flowing as he added 57 off 26 for the second wicket with Klaasen.
To sum it up, anything in his hitting arc and Head smashed it out of the park.
The 30 year old milked runs off the RCB pacers dishing out a lethal assault against Topley and Ferguson.
Head brought up his maiden T20 ton with a boundary off pacer Vyshak Vijayakumar. His hundred came off just 39 balls -- the fourth fastest in the IPL. His onslaught came to an end just after his century as he mistimed a slice off Ferguson and a relieved Faf du Plessis completed the catch at mid off.
Scoring at a sizzling rate of 248.78, Head's 41-ball 102 was studded with nine fours and eight sixes.
Heinrich Klaasen
Promoted up the order to make most of the short boundaries, Klaasen, coming in at No. 3, joined a rampaging Head.
With Abhishek Sharma departing in the 9th over, Klaasen got off to a quiet start as he let Head continue the onslaught. He found his first boundary in the seventh ball he faced as he hammered Yash Dayal for a maximum over mid wicket in the 11th over.
In the second-wicket stand, Klaasen was the quiet of the two as he struck just two sixes, his second one off Ferguson, once again smashed over midwicket and into the stands.
With Head departing in the 13th over, Klaasen took charge and RCB's bowlers looked completely clueless.
The South African batter hammered Mahipal Lomror for two sixes in the 14th over to put SRH on course for another massive score.
Karnataka pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak came under attack as Klaasen hit him for two fours and a six to race to his fifty from 23 balls, while SRH also raced the 200 mark with five overs to go.
Klaasen showed his ability to clear the ropes as he hammered a massive 106m six off Ferguson to send the ball out of the park.
He fell to a tame dismissal as he mistimed a full toss from Ferguson and was caught at point, to walk back in shock after a whirlwind 67 off 31 balls, with seven sixes and two fours.
His sizzling knock was instrumental in powering SRH to a massive 287/3 in their 20 overs -- the highest team total in the IPL, breaking their record set a couple of weeks ago.
Abdul Samad
Coming into the bat in the 18th over after SRH lost the big-hitting Klaasen, Abdul Samad dished out the final flourish with an entertaining cameo at the end.
Getting off the mark with a single, Samad was quick to get off the blocks as he found his first boundary off Yash Dayal in the 18th over.
In the next over, Samad put on a show as he took the assault to Topley.
After Aiden Markram got the 19th over underway with a single, Samad hammered Topley for 4, 4, 6, 6,4 -- getting 25 runs off the bowler in the 19th over.
Samad found the boundary again in the final over. Slapping it over the midwicket ropes off Vyshak, Samad struck the 22nd six of the SRH innings. The RCB bowlers were left looking dazed as the youngster remained unbeaten on 37 off just 10.
Scoring at a sensational rate of 370, the J&K batter struck four boundaries and three sixes. Samad's cameo saw SRH break their own record.
After hitting the highest score of the league -- 277 vs Mumbai Indians earlier in the season -- SRH broke the record, posting 287/3.
Dinesh Karthik
Chasing SRH's record-breaking total, RCB made a strong start as Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis put on 80 runs for the opening wicket from just 38 balls. But SRH's bowlers came back strongly in the middle overs courtesy Captain Pat Cummins and Mayank Markande.
RCB suffered a mini-collapse as they lost five wickets for 42 runs in the space of 22 balls.
But Karthik was not the one to throw in the towel despite the game looking out of their reach at the halfway mark.
Karthik, who slammed 53 from 23 balls in the last RCB match against the Mumbai Indians, launched a stunning counter-attack to revive his team's slim hopes and give the home fans something to cheer about.
He made a watchful start, scoring five from eight balls faced, before cutting loose. Karthik started his assault as he swung Mayank Markande's googly over fine leg for a six and reverse swept the spinner for a four in the same over.
The RCB senior pro then took the attack to Jaydev Unadkat, hitting him for three fours and a six in the 14th over. Lack of support from the other end meant that Karthik had to do it on his own.
A six each off Thangarasu Natarajan and Cummins saw DK bring up his fifty from just 23 balls. His valiant effort ensured that the RCB didn't return empty-handed despite the loss.
He slammed Natarajan for a six and a four in the 19th over before he was caught behind off the same bowler after an entertaining 83 from 35 balls, hitting seven sixes and five fours.
While the home fans saw RCB suffer their fifth loss in a row and their sixth defeat in seven games, they gave DK a standing ovation on his fantastic knock.
Faf du Plessis
Faf, who will turn 40 on July 13, continues to be a dominant force with the bat in T20 cricket.
Having seen his bowlers conceded a record 287, the RCB captain didn't give up hope as he along with Kohli went on the rampage in the Powerplay.
He started with a couple of edged boundaries before hitting a cracking inside out shot off spinner Shahbaz Ahmed for a six over the covers and slogged the spinner's last ball for the same result.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar also came under attack at the hands of the South African, getting hit for back to back fours in the fourth over.
After Kohli's dismissal in the seventh over, du Plessis single-handedly kept RCB in the hunt with a flurry of boundaries in the middle overs.
He smashed Unadkat for a boundary and a six in the eighth over to race to his fifty from just 23 balls.
He repeated the dose on Pat Cummins but perished to the same bowler, as he missed the pull off a slower bouncer and was caught behind off the gloves after a superb 62 from 28 balls.
Photographs: BCCI
RCB Vs SRH: Who Batted Best?
