The IPL 2024 season has seen some extraordinary batting performances from the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) line-up. With three totals over 250 already in the tournament, their explosive batting unit had rewritten the record books of T20 cricket. However, on Thursday night at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the star-studded SRH batting crumbled under the pressure of chasing a competitive total against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
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Batting Collapse Triggers Furious Reaction
After RCB posted 206/7 riding on fifties from Virat Kohli (51 off 43) and Rajat Patidar’s blistering 50 off just 20 balls, SRH were expected to chase it down comfortably with their batting firepower. But the script went drastically wrong as they lost half their side for just 61 runs inside the powerplay. The shocking batting collapse left SRH co-owner and CEO Kavya Maran visibly furious in the stands. The cameras caught her animated reactions as wickets kept tumbling, sparking a viral meme fest on social media.
Top Order Dismantled
It all started in the very first over when the dangerous Travis Head fell for just 1 to Will Jacks. Abhishek Sharma (31 off 13) tried to stay true to SRH’s ultra-aggressive approach but his counterattacking innings was cut short by Yash Dayal. From there, it was a complete meltdown for the SRH top order. Aiden Markram (6) and Heinrich Klaasen (9) were both accounted for by the impressive debutant Swapnil Singh, whose twin strikes in the 5th over really put RCB on top.
Spirited Fight But Too Late
SRH skipper Pat Cummins (31 off 15) launched a brutal counterattack and Shahbaz Ahmed remained unbeaten on 40, but it proved too little too late for the hosts. The middle and lower order could not rescue SRH from the deep hole dug by the early wickets as they finished on 171/8, going down by 35 runs. While it was a rare off day for SRH’s famed batting unit, the loss did not affect their third spot on the points table. But Kavya Maran’s furious reaction in the stands summed up the disappointment in the SRH camp at squandering a golden opportunity to strengthen their playoff chances.
RCB Relief After Ending Drought
For RCB, it was a massive relief to snap their six-match losing streak with their first victory in nearly a month. Kohli and Patidar’s brilliant innings coupled with some disciplined bowling efforts from Green, Karn Sharma and Swapnil Singh earned them a hard-fought win to stay in contention for a playoff berth. In the post-match presentation, a satisfied Faf du Plessis said, “You can’t speak confidence into the group, can’t fake confidence into the group. Only thing that gives confidence is performances…More guys scoring runs now. First half of the tournament only Virat was scoring runs.”
Seizing Key Moments
While SRH will rue their inability to capitalize on home conditions, RCB grabbed the key moments in the game. Whether it was Patidar’s assault on Mayank Markande or Swapnil’s twin strikes in the powerplay, the visitors made the most of the big moments to pull off a morale-boosting victory.