SRH’s Mountain of Runs Overshadowed RCB’s Chase at M Chinnaswamy: An Epic Showdown .

**30th IPL Match Overview: Royal Challengers vs Sunrisers Hyderabad**

The clash took place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on 15th April 2024, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru opted to field after winning the toss.

**Teams Line-up:**

* **Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI):**
Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Saurav Chauhan, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Reece Topley, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal

* **Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI):**
Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan

**Impact Substitutes for both teams:**

* **Sunrisers Hyderabad:**
Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tripathi

* **Royal Challengers Bengaluru:**
Suyash Prabhudessai, Anuj Rawat, Swapnil Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Karn Sharma

**FIRST INNING:**

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening duo, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, gave a robust start, making it challenging for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowlers to break their partnership. Abhishek Sharma contributed 34 runs off 22 deliveries with two boundaries and two sixes, before getting dismissed by R. Topley. The pitch conditions led to Heinrich Klaasen being promoted to bat at number three. Travis Head delivered an impressive 102 runs from 41 balls including nine fours and eight sixes. L Ferguson eventually dismissed Head with a slow delivery, although this did little to slow down Sunrisers Hyderabad’s momentum. Klaasen terrified the bowlers with his classic strikes, scoring 67 runs off 31 balls with 2 fours and 7 sixes . Following Klaasen’s exit, Markram and Abdul Samad kept their wickets safe, contributing significantly with their knocks. Sunrisers Hyderabad set a record IPL total score of 287-3.

**SECOND INNING:**

RCB openers, Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis began aggressively, hinting at the potential to chase down the 288 target. Their fearless approach was evident during the powerplay, setting a solid foundation for their team. However, after the powerplay, Mayank Markande managed to bowl Virat Kohli out. Kohli had made 42 runs off 20 balls. Subsequently, Pat Cummins took crucial wickets including that of Du Plessis and Saurav Chauhan. Faf Du Plessis smashed 62 runs in 28 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes. Despite these setbacks, RCB’s wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik remained hopeful, fiercely hitting the ball and scored 83 runs in 35 balls with 5 fours and 7 sixes but the high scoreboard pressure proved too much for RCB as they failed to achieve the target. Cummins emerged as a key bowler securing three wickets, with Markande taking two.

 

Travis Head was named player of the match for his outstanding century. This victory positioned Sunrisers Hyderabad fourth in the points table. The team’s batsmen significantly contributed to their win, backed by a bowling lineup that effectively contained runs. SRH is renowned for setting new records, a feat it has achieved against various teams, including RCB in this match. SRH’s powerhouse batting lineup remains a daunting challenge for opponents, highlighted by Abdul Samad’s remarkable knock.

With their fifth consecutive defeat, RCB found themselves at the lower end of the tournament table. They introduced some changes to their lineup for this match, like substituting Mohammad Siraj with Lockie Ferguson, aiming to strengthen their bowling. Unfortunately, this strategy did not yield the desired results. Only Faf Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Dinesh Karthik managed substantial scores for RCB, while the rest of the team struggled to make a significant impact.