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When the sun rises in the IPL, get ready for a fireworks extravaganza!
T20 cricket is synonymous with explosive batting and nail-biting finishes. But even in this high-octane format, some matches transcend the ordinary, transforming into run-fests that leave fans and commentators speechless.
In IPL 2024, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise emerged as the undisputed kings of these extraordinary encounters, etching their name in history with a series of matches exceeding a combined score of 450 runs.
This article dives into three such spectacles where SRH turned the cricket field into a six-hit paradise, leaving their opponents and the cricketing world awestruck.
On April 15, 2024, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, a new chapter was written in the IPL record books. In a match that defied logic, SRH posted a mammoth 287 for 3 wickets, the highest total in IPL history, against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma tore into the RCB bowling attack, laying the foundation with a blazing 125-run partnership in the powerplay.
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Highest ever total of IPL
Head continued his rampage, scoring a career-best 102 runs off just 41 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen provided the late flourish with a brutal 67 off 31 deliveries. The carnage didn't stop there. RCB, in a valiant chase led by Dinesh Karthik's 83, amassed a staggering 262 runs themselves. Despite their efforts, they fell short by 25 runs, as the match produced a record-breaking combined score of 549 runs—the highest ever in T20 cricket!
Just weeks before their record-breaking exploits against RCB, SRH had already rewritten the history books. On March 27, 2024, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, they posted a colossal 277 for 3 wickets against the Mumbai Indians (MI), surpassing the previous record of 263 set by RCB in 2013. This time, it was a collective batting masterclass. Head got the party started with a blistering 18-ball fifty, the fastest for SRH in the IPL.
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Klaasen is on fire
However, the spotlight was soon stolen by the young gun Abhishek Sharma, who smashed an even quicker 16-ball fifty. Heinrich Klaasen (80) then took over the mantle, launching into MI's bowlers with disdain. Even in a losing cause, MI displayed remarkable batting prowess, chasing the target valiantly with a score of 246 for 5. This match, featuring a combined score of 523 runs, became one of the highest-scoring encounters in men's T20 cricket history.
While the previous two encounters saw records tumble, SRH's match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 20, 2024, was a display of sheer batting dominance. Their score of 266 for 7, though the fourth-highest in IPL history, paled in comparison to their own exploits earlier in the season. Openers Head and Abhishek once again provided a blistering start, amassing a staggering 125 runs in the powerplay overs—a first in T20 cricket history.
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The dynamic duo of SRH
While Kuldeep Yadav managed to restrict the flow of runs later in the innings, the early onslaught had set the tone. DC started their chase aggressively, mirroring SRH's powerplay heroics with 88 runs in the first six overs. However, the dismissal of Jake Fraser-McGurk, who scored the fastest fifty of the season (15 balls), proved to be the turning point. DC's batting order crumbled thereafter, and they were eventually bowled out for 199 runs.
