Sunrisers Hyderabad's power-packed batting line-up showed off their batting might as they racked up a mammoth 286/6 after being put into bat by Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on Sunday.
SRH's batters went on the rampage right from the start and there was no holding back right through the 20 overs.
Royals' batters struggled to cope with the pressure of the huge run chase with only Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel helping the visitors come up with a respectable fight as the duo slammed quickfire fifties.
The best knocks of the match:
Ishan Kishan
Kishan made a dream start at his new IPL franchise with a match-winning century.
Bought by SRH for Rs 11.25 crore (Rs 112.5 million), Kishan justified his billing with a swashbuckling 106 from 47 balls to register his maiden century in the IPL.
Coming into bat at No. 3 after the rampaging start by openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head is never an easy task for any batter.
But the left-hander showed why he is rated among the top batters in T20 cricket with his explosive stroke-making to help SRH sustain the momentum in the middle overs.
He made a streaky start, edging spinner Maheesh Theekshana for a four past the wicketkeeper before he made a statement by smashing the next ball back past the bowler for back to back fours.
While Head went ballistic at the end, Kishan was not far behind either.
He was particularly severe on England pacer Jofra Archer, whom he sent to the cleaners with three sixes in his third over. At one stage Kishan slammed 20 runs from five balls with three sixes in the space of five balls which saw him race past 50 from just 25 balls.
The left-hander took just 20 balls to complete the next fifty. He brought up his maiden IPL century in great style, hitting pacer Sandeep Sharma for back to back sixes before running a double to get to the landmark from just 45 balls.
His power-packed knock steered SRH to a massive 286/6 in their 20 overs -- the second highest total in IPL history.
Travis Head
Head loves batting in the IPL. There is no better sight in cricket when he is in full attack mode.
After lighting up the IPL last season with his dazzling strokeplay, the Australian was back at it again, treating home fans in Hyderabad to yet another masterclass knock.
SRH were off to a flying start, thanks to Abhishek Sharma, who set the tone with a couple of boundaries in the opening over.
Head wasted no time joining the onslaught. In the very next over, he cut Theekshana for four before lofting him straight down the ground for a six.
The two openers stitched together a blazing 45-run stand off just 19 balls before Abhishek fell to Theekshana. But there was no stopping Head as he kept attacking the RR bowlers.
He turned up the heat against his Ashes rival Jofra Archer, launching a brutal assault.
The England pacer was taken to the cleaners as Head plundered 22 runs off his first over, dispatching him for 4, 6, 0, 4, 4, 4 with SRH racing to 94 in the Powerplay.
With a perfect mix of power and timing, Head effortlessly cleared the infield as fours and sixes rained down in Hyderabad.
His superb knock finally came to an end in the 10th over, but not before he had smashed 67 off just 31 balls, peppering the boundary with nine fours and three sixes. His explosive innings powered SRH to 135/2 in 10 overs, laying the perfect platform for a mammoth total.
Heinrich Klaasen
SRH left many surprised when they paid Rs 23 crore (Rs 230 million) to retain Klaasen -- more than what other franchises paid to retain the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Nicholas Pooran, Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli.
One of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket, Klaasen boasts a staggering IPL strike rate of 168.31, with 993 runs in 35 matches, including a century and six fifties.
He delivered another T20 masterclass against RR, hammering 34 off just 14 balls to provide the late flourish. At one stage, with Klaasen in full flow, SRH seemed poised to breach the 300-run mark.
He took on Sandeep Sharma for a six and four off successive deliveries before punishing the hapless Archer with three consecutive boundaries, in the 18th over.
Sandeep brought RR huge relief when he dismissed Klaasen after a quickfire cameo of 34 from 14 balls, with five fours and a six.
Sanju Samson
Samson, returning from finger surgery last month, opted to play as the Impact Player, easing himself back into action.
Chasing a daunting 289, Samson walked in early and wasted no time, taking on Mohammed Shami by smashing the last three balls of the first over for a six and two fours.
He repeated the treatment against Simarjeet Singh in the fourth over, racing to 28 off just 10 balls.
Partnering with Dhruv Jurel, Samson led the RR recovery with a dazzling array of strokes.
He showcased his class against spin, lofting Adam Zampa for a six and four in his first over, reaching his half-century off 26 balls.
Samson was dropped on 53 by Shami but he couldn't make most as he was dismissed by Harshal Patel after miscuing a slower ball.
He was dismsised after an impressive 66 from 37 balls, with his 111-run stand keeping SRH's hopes alive in the mammoth chase.
Dhruv Jurel
Jurel was a shining light in an otherwise tough night for the Royals.
Walking in during the fifth over after RR had lost three early wickets, Jurel counterattacked brilliantly.
He went after SRH Skipper Pat Cummins in the final over of the Powerplay, hammering him for a six and three fours to push RR to 77/3 in six overs.
His strokeplay was electrifying. Simarjeet, who had been economical in the Powerplay, was taken apart by Jurel, who smashed him for three sixes to bring up his fifty off just 28 balls.
Samson's dismissal disrupted RR's momentum, and Jurel followed soon after, departing for a breathtaking 70 off 35 balls, laced with six sixes and five fours.
Photographs: BCCI
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