Final Result:
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma left their home fans speechless as Sunrisers Hyderabad hammered Lucknow Super Giants to jump to third position on the IPL 2024 points table.
Head remained unbeaten on 89 while Sharma was not out on 75 as Hyderabad chased down the target of 165 in just 9.4 overs, becoming the first team in the history of the IPL to hunt down a 166+ target inside the first 10 overs.
Lucknow's pain however, was nothing in comparison to that of Mumbai Indians, who have become the first team to be officially knocked out of the playoffs race.
SRH's triumph in Hyderabad elevated them to the third spot with 14 points, following behind leaders Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, both boasting 16 points each.
As LSG and Delhi Capitals clash on May 14, one of them is set to attain a minimum of 13 points, barring adverse weather conditions.
MI's maximum attainable tally is 12 points should they emerge victorious in their remaining duo of league encounters, but this won't suffice to infiltrate the upper echelon of four.
Mid-Innings Score:
Brief Scores - Sunrisers Hyderabad Restrict Lucknow Super Giants To 165/4 In 20 Overs. Badoni (55*), Pooran (48*), Bhuvneshwar (2/12).
Lucknow Super Giants staged a remarkable recovery to post a competitive total of 165 for 4 in 20 overs after electing to bat first in Hyderabad.
Ayush Badoni (55*) and Nicholas Pooran (48*) were the heroes of the first innings as the duo stitched an unbroken 99-run partnership off 52 balls to help LSG recover from 66 for 4.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the Sunrisers bowlers with 2 wickets for 12 runs while Pat Cummins got one scalp.
Toss Update:
Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
SRH vs LSG Playing XIs
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul(w/c), Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Travis Head, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan
Pitch Report:
"Boundary dimensions - there's some good news for the bowlers as it is the centre pitch, 60-odd meters on either side and a pitch that the spinners won't mind bowling. It feels like walking into a clay oven today.
"(The pitch) Extremely hard, really dry and you can feel the heat, still hot to touch. It has opened up tiny little cracks. I would be surprised if it is a record breaking total type this evening," feel Matthew Hayden and Sanjay Manjrekar.
SRH vs LSG Preview
Sunrisers Hyderabad will be keen to shake off their disappointing batting performance as they welcome Lucknow Super Giants for a pivotal Indian Premier League clash in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Both squads are tied at 12 points from 11 matches, with SRH edging ahead in the top-four standings courtesy of a slightly better net run rate of -0.065 compared to LSG's -0.371.
With Kolkata Knight Riders (16), Rajasthan Royals (16), and Chennai Super Kings (12) currently occupying the higher spots on the points table, Sunrisers face stiff competition for a playoff berth.
The victor of this encounter will gain ground in the playoff race.
