Sunrisers Hyderabad registered the highest score in the IPL, breaking Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s previous record of 263-5, posting 277-3 against Mumbai Indians today.

It was also the highest score in all domestic T20 cricket, surpassing the 275-6 put on by Punjab against Andhra in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Remarkably, Abhishek Sharma starred in both performances, hitting 112 off 51 that day and 63 off 23 today.

SRH were sent in to bat first in their first home game of the 2024 Indian Premier League against Mumbai Indians, making one change in their XI. They brought in Travis Head as an opener alongside Mayank Agarwal, a move that was instantly validated as the Australia left-hander raced away to a 24-ball 62. Head was playing just his 11th IPL match and his first game since 2017. He was dropped on five in the second over of the innings and Mumbai could never recover thereafter.

Mumbai started the bowling with debutant Kwena Maphaka, who conceded seven in his first-ever IPL over, but it was carnage thereafter as SRH raced away to 81 in the powerplay. He ended up conceding 0-66 in his four overs, the sixth-most expensive figures by a bowler in the league. It was also the most expensive figures by a bowler on debut.

SRH posted more than 80 in the powerplay for the first time and Head was the wrecker-in-chief, scoring 59 in 20 deliveries, reaching his second IPL fifty in 18 balls, the fastest half-century by an SRH batter.

Mayank struggled for rhythm during his 13-ball 11 but his departure opened up the doors for Hyderabad as Abhishek Sharma along with Head took apart Mumbai’s bowling. Head’s innings was laced with nine fours and three sixes and was made at a strike rate of 258.33. SRH made 80 in the next five overs after the powerplay and kept going despite the departure of Head in the eighth over. They reached 100 in seven overs, their fastest ever.

Sharma then took on the responsibility, ensuring the run rate did not drop following Head’s dismissal. He matched Head stroke-for-stroke and reached his fifty in 16 balls with two successive sixes as the Australia’s record for the fastest half-century by an SRH batter lasted  20 balls. It is the second-fastest IPL fifty by any batter against MI.

Mumbai, who surprised pundits by giving Jasprit Bumrah just one over till the 12th over, could never recover from the onslaught. Hyderabad were 148-2 after the first 10 overs, the highest by any team at the halfway stage. They went onto add 129 more in the last 10 overs to create an all-time record.

If the first ten overs were led by Head and Sharma, it was Klaasen, who scored a 29-ball 63 in a losing cause in the first game against KKR, who took on the onus in the second half. He made 80 in just 34 deliveries at a strike rate of 235.29, his second-quickest score of 80 or more in T20s.

SRH hit a total of 18 sixes in their innings, the third-most by an IPL team in an innings. SRH’s previous-best score in the league was 231-2, which came in 2019. This is also the fourth-best T20 score by a team ever, when including internationals, with the record held by Nepal, who made 314-3 against Mongolia last year.

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