Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins expressed relief and excitement at finishing on the winning side of the pulsating contest after the host clinched a victory by 31 runs against Mumbai Indians (MI) in a jaw-dropping IPL showdown on Wednesday and heaped praise on young batter Abhishek Sharma for scoring the fastest fifty of the tournament.
Setting the stage on fire with a record-breaking total of 277 for 3, Sunrisers left the cricketing world in awe with their blistering batting display. Head began the blitzkrieg by reaching his fifty in 18 balls to eventually make 62, before Abhishek Sharma brought out his onslaught to seize the franchise's fastest fifty record in a matter of minutes with his 16-ball half-century.
The duo's explosive partnership, complemented by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 80 off 34 balls, propelled SRH to 277-3, moving past the previous highest IPL total 263-5 set by RCB in 2-13.
Reflecting on the exhilarating victory, Cummins lauded Abhishek's fearless approach to the game, recognising his pivotal role in SRH's triumph, "That was insane. It's one of those games. It felt like they were finding boundaries whenever they wanted. It was good to finish on the winning side," Cummins said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
In IPL, we have played in front of big crowds and to see him (Abhishek Sharma) play with freedom was good to watch. You never played for 270. We wanted to play positively with the impact player and score aggressively," he added.
While Sunrisers Hyderabad's formidable batting prowess stole the spotlight, Mumbai Indians showcased resilience and determination in their spirited chase of the daunting target. Rohit Sharma, in his 200th game for the franchise, dazzled with exquisite strokes, while Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma contributed crucial runs to keep Mumbai's hopes alive.
Despite reaching 182 for three in 14 overs, MI found themselves shackled by the relentless pressure of the towering scoreboard, ultimately falling short of the monumental target set by SRH. Tim David's valiant efforts towards the end were commendable but not enough to salvage the match for his side.
Cummins also reflected on the challenges posed by the high-scoring encounter, acknowledging the need to adapt to the conditions and embrace the unpredictability of T20 cricket.
"It's obviously a good wicket. You have to suck up that you will go for some boundaries. The cutters helped in the last phase. First home game here. The crowd was very loud and it was amazing," he added.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)