In a breathtaking display of cricket, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) not only shattered IPL records but also redefined what’s possible in the power-packed T20 format. Their recent clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) saw them amassing a colossal 287 for 3, driven by an outstanding 39-ball century from opener Travis Head. This performance was not just about breaking records; it was a statement of intent, aggression, and strategic finesse.

Travis Head wants 300

After breaking highest IPL total ever, opener Travis Head said his side would fancy targeting 300 as their next challenge. He also credited the captain Pat Cummins and head coach Daniel Vettori for pushing the openers to keep being aggressive in the first six overs. This ambitious goal reflects the team’s confidence and the evolving dynamics of T20 cricket.

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“Our total needs a three in front of it, does it now?” Head joked, when asked about the benchmarks Sunrisers are setting for themselves, after the first innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday. “It’s proper batting. We’ve wanted to be exciting the whole time, and we’ve wanted to take the game on, and Pat and then Dan have put pressure on the batting line-up to make sure we try and maximise the powerplay and then keep going.

“We’ve got guys like [Heinrich] Klaasen, [Abdul] Samad and Nitish [Kumar Reddy, who] didn’t even get a hit today. We’ve got some power through the middle, and we want to keep just putting the foot down as much as we can. We know that’s not always guaranteed, but at the moment I think we’re setting it up really well in each game and getting to the score that we need.”

The Record-Breaking Match

The match on a sunny Monday at the IPL was nothing short of spectacular. SRH, led by Travis Head’s explosive batting, set the stage on fire right from the get-go. Achieving 76 runs in the powerplay set the tone for a high-scoring game, which eventually culminated in the second-highest T20 total ever scored.

Travis Head’s Century

Travis Head, known for his aggressive batting style, outdid himself by scoring 102 runs off just 39 balls. His innings was peppered with nine sixes, contributing significantly to the team’s total. Head’s ability to dominate the bowlers from the outset was crucial in putting the opposing team under pressure early in the game.

Even after the dismissal of Head, the onslaught continued with Heinrich Klaasen and Abdul Samad accelerating the pace. Klaasen’s quick 67 off 31 balls and Samad’s fiery 37 in just 10 deliveries exemplified the depth and firepower within the SRH batting lineup.

Achievements and Records

The match saw SRH break the record for the most sixes in an IPL match, with 22 hits over the fence. This aggressive batting not only boosted the team’s run rate but also set a new benchmark for future games.

Highest totals in T20 cricket
314/3 Nepal vs Mongolia Hangzhou 2023
287/3 SRH vs RCB Bengaluru 2024
278/3 Afg vs Ire Dehradun 2019
278/4 Czech Rep vs Turkey Iflov Country 2019
277/3 SRH vs MI Hyderabad 2024

RCB’s bowlers struggled throughout the match, with four of them conceding over 50 runs each. Reece Topley and Vijaykumar Vyshak were notably expensive, which highlighted the effectiveness of SRH’s aggressive batting approach.