Hyderabad beat Bengaluru as records shatter in epic IPL run-fest

Sunrisers Hyderabad set a new Indian Premier League (IPL) benchmark by scoring an all-time high of 287-3 in their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, securing a 25-run victory.

This game not only surpassed Hyderabad’s previous record of 277 but also marked the highest aggregate score in a T20 match, with a combined total of 549 runs.

The record-breaking spree featured a brilliant century from Travis Head, who scored 102 runs from just 41 balls, and significant contributions from Heinrich Klaasen and others.

The match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium ended with Bengaluru posting 262-7, despite valiant knocks from Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Dinesh Karthik.

Batting first, Hyderabad eclipsed their own previous record of 277 set last month, propelled by Head's rapid 102 off 41 balls and Heinrich Klaasen's fiery 67.

This record-setting total in Bengaluru is second only to Nepal's 314-3 against Mongolia at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year in the T20 format.

Despite strong efforts from Virat Kohli, who scored 42, and captain Faf du Plessis, who added 62, along with a powerful 83 off 35 balls by Dinesh Karthik, Bengaluru could only muster 262-7 in response.

Sunrisers' captain Pat Cummins and spinner Mayank Markande were the key bowlers for their side, claiming five wickets between them to thwart Bengaluru's chase.

Cummins expressed his surprise at the outcome, saying, "Against Mumbai Indians a few weeks ago, I thought it wouldn't happen again, but it has happened again," celebrating his team's third consecutive win and fourth of the season.

The match was a showcase for batters, with Hyderabad setting another record for the most sixes in an IPL innings, sending the ball over the boundary 22 times.

Head, last year’s ODI World Cup hero for Australia, blasted his way to a hundred in just 39 balls, marking the fourth-fastest century in the league's history, and earning man of the match honors. He and Abhishek Sharma, who contributed 34, put up an opening partnership of 108 runs.

Following Head’s performance, Klaasen took over, dominating with a 31-ball performance that was almost as devastating, before being dismissed by Lockie Ferguson.

The batting frenzy continued with Aiden Markram and Abdul Samad who added a swift 59 runs in just 19 balls. Samad took England's Reece Topley for 25 runs in the penultimate over, including three fours and two sixes, while the final over with Markram yielded another 21 runs.

Earlier this month, Kolkata Knight Riders had posted 272-7 against Delhi Capitals, but Hyderabad’s performance set a new benchmark. Kohli and Du Plessis had initially set the stage for a thrilling chase, but despite Karthik's late heroics, Bengaluru faced their fifth consecutive defeat.

Reflecting on the challenge ahead, Du Plessis emphasised the mental aspect of the game, saying, "Sometimes it feels like your mind is going to explode. A little bit of (an) uphill task for us at the moment."

(AFP)