Fourth week of IPL-17: Record-breaking score by SRH, yet again; Rohit Sharma's ton goes in vain

Pics/PTI, AFP

Joint-highest run chase by RR

RR players celebrate their win over KKR at Eden Gardens. Pic/PTI

IPL-17 has so far witnessed many high-scoring encounters. On Tuesday, Rajasthan Royals (RR) achieved a mammoth 224-run target against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to register the joint-highest successful run chase in IPL. The earlier record too was held by RR when they chased 224 against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) at Sharjah in 2020.

The match witnessed two centuries scored by players from both sides. Batting first, KKR opener Sunil Narine scored his maiden T20 ton (109) to propel KKR to 223-6 off 20 overs. In reply, RR were struggling at 128-6 after 14 overs. But thanks to opener Jos Buttler's unbeaten 107 off 60 balls, the inaugural IPL champions scored the required 96 off just 36 balls (an IPL record while chasing) to win the last-ball thriller by two wickets.

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Record-breaking score by SRH yet again

SRH's Travis Head is ecstatic after scoring a century against RCB. Pic/AFP

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) broke its own record of the highest-ever total in IPL, scoring 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday. This was just weeks after they scored 277-3 against Mumbai Indians (MI), the then IPL record. The visitors smashed the RCB bowlers all over the park, thanks to this season's fastest IPL hundred - 39 balls - by SRH opener Travis Head. His innings was laced with nine fours and eight sixes. The match also witnessed several IPL records - 22 maximums by SRH, the most in an innings with an aggregate of 549 runs. The game saw 36 sixes, the joint-highest in an IPL match.

Rohit Sharma's ton goes in vain

Rohit Sharma during his 105 against CSK at Wankhede. Pic/AFP

MI opening batsman Rohit Sharma scored his much-awaited IPL century after 12 years. However, his unbeaten 105 off 63 balls went in vain as the hosts lost to defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Wankhede. Chasing CSK's 206-4, openers Rohit and Ishan Kishan gave MI a solid start reaching 63-0 in Powerplay. The hosts looked well settled at 118-2 after 12 overs, but CSK's pacers managed to apply a brakes on MI's run chase as they conceded just 17 runs in the next 24 balls, including two wickets. With 72 required off just 24 balls, the former MI skipper tried hard to bring the equation down, but the five-time champions fell short by 20 runs.

Mitchell Starc not on the money

KKR pacer Mitchell Starc. Pic/AFP

IPL's most expensive player Mitchell Starc has not lived up to his reputation so far. The Aussie pacer, who was purchased by KKR for a whopping ₹24.75 crore during the IPL-17 mini-auction, has been amongst the most expensive bowlers this season, conceding 232 runs at a poor economy rate of 10.54 apart from claiming five wickets in six matches. Starc started the season conceding 53 runs without a wicket off four overs against SRH. He went for 0-47 off four overs in the next match versus RCB. The speedster claimed 2-25 against Delhi Capitals, but at an economy rate of 8.30, while he went for 0-29 off three overs versus CSK. He made a comeback against Lucknow Super Giants, claiming 3-28 off four overs, but was smashed for 0-50 by RR.

Back-to-back last-over defeats for Punjab Kings at home

Punjab Kings's stand-in skipper Sam Curran. Pic/PTI

Week 4 of IPL-17 witnessed two back-to-back last-over defeats for Punjab Kings and three consecutive overall at Mullanpur. Sam Curran led the side in the absence of injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Batting first against RR, the Punjab side managed 147-8 in the allotted 20 overs. In reply, RR were cruising at 79-1 after 11 overs, but the Punjab bowlers brought the game back in the hosts' favour by conceding just 35 runs in the next six overs, including three wickets. With 34 required off just three overs, it looked like the match was tilting towards Punjab, but Shimron Hetmyer's unbeaten 27 off 10 balls ensured a RR win with one ball to spare. In the next match, chasing MI's 192-7, the Curran-led side were reduced to 14-4 in 2.1 overs, but a never-give-up attitude by Ashutosh Sharma (28-ball 61) and Shashank Singh (41 off 25 balls) made sure the hosts were comfortably placed at 165-7 after 16 overs. With just 28 required off 24 balls and three wickets in hands, it looked all over for MI, but the luck this time too wasn't in the hosts' favour as they were bowled out nine runs short with five balls to spare.