IPL 2024: Freight train SRH unstoppable in Delhi, reaches No. 2 on points table

SRH produced a batting masterclass to outclass DC in a high-scoring group match to secure a thumping 67-run win over.

The hosts in the IPL 2024 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and jump to the second spot in the points table. Days before the match, DC bowling coach James Hopes had called SRH a “freight train”, saying that his bowlers are preparing to stop them. However, SRH ‘the freight train’ were unstoppable on April 20 as the Pat Cummins-led side outbatted the hosts to register a thumping 67-run win at Qila Kotla.

Travis Head’s blitzkrieg knock of 89 runs off just 32 balls, complemented by Abhishek Sharma’s quickfire 46 off 12 deliveries, propelled SRH to a formidable total of 266 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Their explosive partnership, coupled with a record-breaking Powerplay score of 125/0, laid a solid foundation for SRH, hinting at the possibility of breaching the 300-run mark, a feat yet to be achieved in IPL history. In response, Jake Fraser-McGurk’s aggressive innings of 65 runs off a mere 18 balls ignited hopes of a miraculous comeback for DC, particularly as he combined forces with Abhishek Porel, who contributed a brisk 42 off 22 deliveries, to forge an 84-run partnership for the third wicket in just five overs. However, once Fraser-McGurk departed, DC’s momentum waned, ultimately resulting in their collapse to 199 all out in 19.1 overs.

T Natarajan’s crafty use of slower bouncers earned him impressive figures of 4 for 19, playing a pivotal role in securing SRH’s victory and elevating them to second position on the points table with 10 points, trailing only behind Rajasthan Royals. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant struggled to find his rhythm, laboring to a painstaking 44 off 35 balls, which did not help DC’s pursuit of the record 266-run target. Despite a promising start by Prithvi Shaw, who smashed four boundaries off an out-of-sorts Washington Sundar before a soft dismissal, DC faltered in their chase. Fraser-McGurk, displaying minimal footwork yet maintaining a stable base, unleashed a breathtaking onslaught, reaching his fifty in just 15 balls. However, his heroics couldn’t salvage the match for DC, as they gradually slipped out of the qualification zone, leaving their aspirations hanging by a thread.

SRH AMASS 266

DC bowlers found themselves at the mercy of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who unleashed a batting onslaught akin to a tornado and cyclone respectively, as the Sunrisers amassed a formidable total of 266 for 7. However, despite their dominant display, the Sunrisers will rue falling short of breaching the 300-run mark in this IPL encounter. Setting an IPL record Powerplay score of 125 runs in six overs, Head continued his stellar form from the previous match against RCB, smashing a scintillating 89 off just 32 balls. Abhishek complemented him perfectly, matching his tempo with a blistering 46 off only 12 balls, as both openers treated themselves to a flurry of sixes.

Khaleel Ahmed, the left-arm seamer, provided the Sunrisers with a ‘Head start’ by dispatching short deliveries over deep mid-wicket for sixes, amassing 19 runs in the first over alone. Despite the pitch demanding a fuller length, Delhi’s pacers erred by bowling short, allowing Head and Abhishek to capitalize on their deep crease positioning. Rishabh Pant’s decision to bowl first, especially on a batting-friendly track, raised eyebrows, particularly his choice to entrust Lalit Yadav with the second over, known for his jestingly dubbed “right-arm nothing” off-breaks in the Delhi cricket circuit. Head and Abhishek mercilessly attacked every bowler, with even the typically brave Kuldeep Yadav (4/55 in 4 overs) falling prey to Abhishek’s onslaught, forcing him to alter his bowling trajectory.

Despite Axar Patel’s commendable economy rate of 1/29 in 4 overs and his crucial dismissal of Heinrich Klaasen, denying the crowd of 30,000 at the Kotla the chance to witness an IPL first-ever 300-plus total, Sunrisers’ batsmen prevailed. Kuldeep, while recording the highest number of dot balls (8) among Delhi bowlers, also conceded the most ‘maximums’ – seven, a rare contradiction within a single match. In the latter half of the innings, Shahbaz Ahmed’s unbeaten 59 off 29 balls pushed SRH past 250 but it paled in comparison to the ferocious onslaught led by Head and Abhishek at the start of the innings.