Records tumble as SRH outmuscle Mumbai Indians in six-hitting festival

Hyderabad: Records tumbled as Sunrisers Hyderabad went on a rampage to post the highest ever IPL total of 277 for 3 against Mumbai Indians before sealing a 31-run victory in a powerhitting contest that left bowlers on both sides befuddled.

SRH opener Travis Head (62 off 24) and number three Abhishek Sharma (63 off 23) came up with a sensational display of power-hitting that saw the latter snatching the franchise record for the fastest fifty from the Australian within minutes.

Heinrich Klaasen (80 not out off 34 balls) provided the fireworks in the end to help SRH break an 11-year-old record.

The previous highest total in IPL was 263 for five achieved by Royal Challengers Bangalore back in 2013.

It was also the highest total recorded in a T20 league. Mumbai bowlers were left shell-shocked by SRH's sixhitting spree but their batters came out with a purpose and made a match out of what looked like a one way traffic at the innings break.

Eventually, they ended at 246 for five in 20 overs. A record 38 sixes were plundered in the game and it was the first time 500 runs were scored in a T20 match.

"The wicket was good but 277, no matter how good or bad you bowl, if the opposition get 277 that means they batted very well. It was tough out there for bowlers. Close to 500 runs were scored so the wicket was helping the batters," MI skipper Hardik Pandya said after the match.

Chasing a mammoth 278, Rohit Sharma (26 off 12), in his 200th game for the franchise, played some sublime strokes and was well complemented by Ishan Kishan (34 off 13) who got some much needed runs.

Tilak Varma (64 off 34 balls) took the game deep with a highquality knock, comprising half a dozen sixes.

At 182 for three in 14 overs and seven wickets in hand, Mumbai Indians were on course for some - thing special before succumbing to constant score board pressure.

Tim David (42 not out off 22) tried his best towards the end but it was not enough.

Earlier, it was raining fours and sixes as Head and Sha r ma toyed with the Mumbai Indians attack after being put in to bat.

Head, who was surprisingly lef t out of the playing eleven for the opening game, reinforced his status as one of the most dangerous batters in the game with a whirlwind effort.

He broke David Warner's record of the fastest fifty by a SRH batter with a 18- ball half-century before Sharma surpassed Head's feat 20 balls later by reaching the milestone in 16 balls.

Head, who was dropped by compatriot Tim David at the start of his innings, opened his front leg and hit boundaries at will, collecting nine fours and three sixes in total.

The southpaw completed his fifty with an inside out four wide of mid-off before dispatching a bouncer from Gerald Coetzee for a six over deep midwicket, prompting opposition skipper Hardik Pandya to acknowledge the Australian's brutal assault.

When Head departed, Sharma went hammer and tongs, mostly targeting the cow corner region for his seven sixes and three boundaries.

It was a nightmarish start to the IPL for the 17-year-old South Africa pacer Kwena Maphaka, who made the Mumbai Indians squad at the back of his exploits in the U-19 World Cup.

He leaked as many as 66 runs in his four overs. The left-arm pacer could not recover from Head's onslaught in his second over in which he conceded 22 runs.

Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad: 277 for 3 in 20 overs (Heinrich Klassen 80 , Travis Head 62, Abhishek Sharma 63; Piyush Chawla 1/34). Mumbai Indians: 246 for 5 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 64, Tim David 42 not out; Pat Cummins 2/35). (PTI)