In a high-octane encounter in the capital city, Hyderabad’s batting fireworks overshadowed Delhi as they clinched a resounding victory in the IPL 2024 T20 cricket series. The 35th league match, held in Delhi, witnessed an extraordinary display of power-hitting and record-breaking performances.
Winning the toss, Delhi opted to bowl first, giving Hyderabad the opportunity to set a challenging target. What followed was an onslaught from Hyderabad’s opening pair, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. The duo set the field ablaze, amassing a staggering 125/0 in just 6 overs, setting a new world record for the highest power play score in T20 cricket.
Abhishek Sharma’s explosive innings came to an end at 46 runs off just 12 balls, setting the stage for the next onslaught. Aiden Markram followed suit, departing after contributing just 1 run to the scoreboard. However, Travis Head continued his aggressive batting, reaching a blazing 50 off just 16 balls. His innings of 89 runs off 32 balls, including 11 fours and 6 sixes, set the tone for Hyderabad’s formidable total.
Contributions from Heinrich Claassen (15 off 8), Nitish Reddy (37 off 27), and Abdul Samad (13 off 8) further bolstered Hyderabad’s total. However, it was Sabash Ahmed’s explosive unbeaten half-century, scoring 59* off 29 balls, that propelled Hyderabad to a massive total of 266/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
Delhi faced a daunting task of chasing down 267 runs for victory. However, their hopes were quickly dashed as David Warner and Prithvi Shaw fell cheaply. It was then that 22-year-old Australian sensation, Jake Fraser-Mc Coorg took center stage. Fraser-Mc Coorg blitzkrieg in the 3rd over against Washington Sundar, where he smashed 30 runs with successive boundaries and sixes, left the crowd in awe. His 15-ball fifty set a new record as the fastest half-century for Delhi in IPL history, surpassing Chris Morris’ 17-ball fifty in the 2016 season.
Fraser-Mc Coorg’s aggressive knock of 65 runs off just 18 balls, which included 5 fours and 7 sixes, kept Delhi in the hunt for a brief period. However, once he departed, Delhi’s batting line-up crumbled under pressure. Despite valiant efforts from Abishek Borel (42 off 22), the team failed to maintain the required run rate.
Natarajan led Hyderabad’s bowling attack, picking up 4 crucial wickets, supported by Mayank Markande and Nitish Reddy, who claimed 2 wickets each. Delhi was eventually bowled out for 199 runs in 19.1 overs, handing Hyderabad a convincing 67-run victory.
With this win, Hyderabad moved up to the second position in the points table, displacing Chennai. The match showcased Hyderabad’s dominance with both bat and ball, reaffirming their status as strong contenders in the IPL 2024 tournament.