NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad opener
Travis Head
stole the show with a breathtaking display of power-hitting, propelling SRH to an electrifying start in a thrilling encounter against Mumbai Indians at the
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
in Hyderabad.
Head wasted no time in punishing the young debutant Kwena Maphaka of MI, unleashing a flurry of boundaries in the third over, including two sixes and two fours in successive deliveries, amassing an impressive 22 runs off the over.
This onslaught set the tone for his innings.
Continuing his assault, Head targeted MI skipper
Hardik Pandya
in the fifth over, smashing three consecutive boundaries before reaching his fifty in just 18 balls, marking the fastest half-century by an SRH batter in the tournament.
Even the sixth over, bowled by
Gerald Coetzee
, proved to be expensive for MI, as Head and his partner piled on the runs, leading SRH to a formidable score of 81/1 after the Powerplay overs, their best Powerplay score in the league.
When Coetzee got the better of the SRH opener, the Aussie had already scored 62 off 24 balls with the help of three sixes and nine fours.
In a bid to turn the tide, Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH made strategic changes, introducing Travis Head for Marco Jansen and Jaydev Unadkat in place of the injured T Natarajan. MI, meanwhile, handed Kwena Maphaka his IPL debut, replacing Luke Wood.
As both teams sought redemption after disappointing losses in their opening matches, Head's explosive innings provided SRH with a strong foundation to build upon, setting the stage for an enthralling contest in the Indian Premier League.
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