Big Head-ache for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Bengaluru, April 15

Travis Head’s destructive hundred fused splendidly with skipper Pat Cummins’ resolve as Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a well-crafted 25-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring affair here today.

Head’s maiden T20 hundred (102 off 41 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen’s pillaging (67 off 31 balls) drove SRH to a record-breaking 287/3, also going past their own 277/3 against Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad last month.

The visiting bowlers led by Cummins (3/43) showed superb skills on a barren pitch, something their counterparts lacked, to restrict RCB to 262/7. The match also witnessed the highest cumulative runs scored — 549 in any T20 match.

Skipper Faf du Plessis (62 off 28 balls) and Dinesh Karthik (83 off 35 balls) played brilliant knocks but on the night they ended as mere footnotes.

However, RCB began their chase of 288 with gusto with du Plessis and Virat Kohli (42 off 20 balls) making 50 in just 3.5 overs, bettering SRH’s timing for their 50 in 4.3 overs.

The pair reached 79 in the powerplay and 80 in 6.2 overs but the introduction of leg-spinner Mayank Markande changed the complexion of the game.

Earlier, Head’s destructive hundred was the driving force behind Hyderabad’s imposing total.

The Australian added 108 runs off 49 balls with his opening partner Abhishek Sharma (34 off 22 balls) and 57 off 26 balls with Klaasen for the second wicket as the hosts’ bowlers wilted under sustained firing.

Head’s batting does not carry the traditional elegance of a left-hander but he more than compensates it with effectiveness. — PTI

Brief scores

SRH: 287/3 (Head 102, Klaasen 67, Samad 37*, Markram 32*; Ferguson 2/52) vs RCB: 262/7 (Karthik 83, du Plessis 62, Kohli 42; Cummins 3/43, Markande 2/46)

Sunday’s results

LSG: 161/7 in 20 overs (Pooran 45, Rahul 39; Starc 3/28) vs KKR: 162/2 in 15.4 overs  (Salt 89*, Shreyas 38*; Mohsin 2/29)

CSK: 206/4 in 20 overs (Gaikwad 69, Dube 66*, Dhoni 20*; Hardik 2/43) vs MI: 186/6 in 20 overs (Rohit 105*, Tilak 31; Pathirana 4/28)

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