Sunrisers Hyderabad score 266 runs in the Powerplay to defeat Delhi Capitals by 67 runs, thanks to 125 runs each from Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.
Ravi Head and opening partner Abhishek Sharma celebrate reaching the fifty-score mark against the Delhi Capitals.
Overview: On a calm surface with Kuldeep Yadav among the wickets, Travis Head and Shahbaz Ahmed smash fifty runs apiece, Abhishek Sharma puts on a brilliant cameo, and T Natarajan takes four wickets to destroy Delhi Capitals.
Aim high in the Powerplay
On a six-lane motorway of a surface, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma amassed the greatest run total in the format’s history, 125 runs, at a run rate of almost 21 runs per over. It must be unclear to the fans at Arun Jaitley Stadium if they were witnessing a live game or a highlight reel. The boundary total is mind-boggling: Head and Sharma hit 13 fours and 11 sixes in the Powerplay. That indicates that of the first 36 balls, only 12 failed to cross the boundary.
The slogan “make Kotla your fortress” was emphasised by Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting on the eve of the game, and it was a fitting one given the location.
But it was Head who led by example. He noted the day before the game that it mattered how one batted in the opening innings after losing the toss. The left-hander from Australia also disclosed Sunrisers’ motto, which is “Maximise the Powerplay.”
He did the same thing as his opening companion. The Sunrisers’ ability to smash boundaries in spite of losing wickets in the middle overs was another aspect of their style. Then, in just 43 balls, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed put on 67 runs to ensure they scored over 250 runs once more. After Reddy produced a smooth 37 and Shahbaz hit his first IPL fifty, Sunrisers reached 266 thanks to the ideal finishing touches.
stoic battle yet odd choices made
In the face of such an overwhelming sum, Delhi did not give up easily. They put up a fight and put the Sunrisers bowlers under a lot of strain. especially Jake Fraser-McGurk, who is without a doubt the greatest up-and-coming Australian talent. Smiling seven sixes, he picked length early.
