IPL24: Destructive hitting by Head - Abhishek helps SRH to decimate LSG

 

Helpless surrender by LSG .  Lucknow Super Giants  virtually was destroyed by Sunrisers Hyderabad .  Along with that, KL Rahul & Co suffers a big setback before playing in the playoffs.  On the other hand, Pat Cummins' team took a giant step to clear the road to the playoffs by winning the match in some style and with many overs to spare  .

 Lucknow Super Giants have played in IPL (IPL 2024) for the last two seasons.  The new team has made the playoffs twice.  But this is the first time there is a possibility that there will be an exception to that rule.  Because LSG lost two matches in a row.  They will have to play the next two matches at the opponent's home ground.  On the other hand, after getting a quick win, Hyderabad came up to number three in the points list.  The Orange Army will also be ahead in the tug of war to qualify for the playoffs due to a good net run rate.

 Lucknow captain KL Rahul won the toss and decided to bat.  But the team's innings began to falter from the beginning.  Quinton de Kock (2), Marcus Stoinis (3) got out quickly to the skilful seam bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar as both fell to catches trying to take on the bowling. Krunal Pandya (24) looked like rescuing the innings with Rahul but a brilliant throw by Cummins on the stumps had him run out.  Finally Rahul after a painstraking 29 departed caught at fine leg off Cummins .

Ayush Badoni & Nicholas Pooran then rescued the innings from 66/4  and batted till the end. Both batted sensibly while stepping up their aggression.  Badoni (55* off 30 balls) was inprovising superbly while Pooran (48* off 26 balls)  played his typically blistering shots as together they took LSG to 165 /4 in 20 overs . While the pitch appeared a bit slow at the start it gradually eased up when Badoni & Pooran batted  superbly. Bhuvneshwar bowled brilliantly on this day with 2/12 in his 4 overs .

 The target of 166 runs was practically too less for Hyderabad as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma  set about plundering runs at will with destructive strokeplay. As the 6s soared into the stands  and 4s went through the gaps , the score of SRH moved at a rapid pace as KL Rahul  & the LSG bowlers looked increasingly helpless. Head was timing his 6s beautifully while Abhishek was threading the gaps & hitting his 6s in sublime style as the batting by the 2 SRH openers was breathtaking to watch .

  They crossed the hundred run mark in the power play with their fierce onslaught .  Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head ended the match in just 10 overs by decimating the  Lucknow bowling.  Lucknow bowlers could not take a single wicket.  Sunrisers made a stronger claim to play in the playoffs after winning the match . Head for his unbeaten explosive 89 in 30 balls was adjudged the player of the match while Abhishek Sharma with is blazing  75 not out in 28 balls won kudos from the SRH fans along with Head .