Pursuing a comparatively modest goal of 166, Head (89 not out, 30 balls, 8×4, 8×6) and Sharma (75 not out, 28 balls, 8×4, 6×6) made a mockery of the LSG bowling assault, effortlessly discovering the fence and clearing the ropes at will, cruising to victory in a mere 9.four overs.
The excellent win catapulted SRH to the third spot on the factors desk with 14 factors from 12 matches, whereas LSG discover themselves in a precarious place at sixth place, having amassed 12 factors from an equal variety of video games.
The consequence additionally meant that five-time champions Mumbai Indians, at the moment ninth with eight factors from 12 matches, are out of the play-off race.
The dance of destruction by Head and Sharma even left the legendary Sachin Tendulkar gushing.
“A damaging opening partnership could be an understatement tonight. Had these boys batted first, they’d’ve scored 300,” Tendulkar wrote in his X account.
The Head and Sharma present got here after SRH bowlers began brilliantly earlier than dropping the plot a bit.
Ayush Badoni (55 not out off 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (48 not out off 25 balls) stitched essential 95-runs off 55 balls for the unbeaten fifth-wicket stand to information LSG to a aggressive 165 for 4 on a sluggish pitch.
As It Occurred
However the Head and Sharma took any trace of competitors out of the match as soon as they bludgeoned 107 runs within the Energy Play.
It was an superior hitting show from the Indo-Australian pair as they did not spare a single LSG bowler, clobbering them to all components of the bottom.
LSG’s choice to start out with Krishnappa Gowtham additionally backfired badly as each Head and Sharma, who’re actually good towards spin, dismantled the off-spinner.
Such was the brutal assault that the likes Yash Dayal, Ravi Bishnoi and Naveen-ul-Haq had been additionally taken to the cleaners, raining sixes and fours.
Earlier, LSG had been struggling at 27 for two on the finish of the powerplay after opting to bat.
The guests misplaced Quinton de Kock, who changed an injured Mohsin Khan, early, caught brilliantly by Nitish Kumar Reddy at deep backward square-leg off Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/12) within the third over.
Bhuvneshwar struck once more within the fifth over, dismissing the harmful Marcus Stoinis however the credit score for the dismissal ought to go to younger Sanvir Singh, who took a shocking diving catch simply inches from the bottom at mid-on.
The pitch additionally did not assist LSG’s trigger because the ball was approaching to the bat a bit sluggish, as their batters discovered it troublesome to seek out the timing.
Whereas skipper KL Rahul (29) held one find yourself, Krunal Pandya (24) took it on himself to up the ante.
Krunal pummelled Jaydev Unadkat for a six over long-on after which hit the bowler straight over his head for one more most to build up 15 runs within the eighth over.
Rahul hit the primary boundary of LSG innings within the 10th over, slamming SRH skipper Pat Cummins over mid-off.
However Rahul by no means checked out his traditional finest as he struggled to get his timing and eventually departed searching for fast runs, caught by T Natarajan at deep backward sq. leg within the closing supply of the identical over.
SRH had been good on the sphere as Cummins’ direct throw from mid-on despatched Krunal packing quickly when the batter went for a fast single.
Badoni pressed the ft on the accelerator quickly with three boundaries of left-arm pacer Natarajan’s 14th over which yielded 17 runs.
The Lucknow facet lastly bought going as Pooran and Badoni struck a six and a 4 to build up 12 runs off the 15th over bowled by leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.
They confirmed intent from the phrase go and did not hesitate to play their strokes when the chance was offered to them.
It was good batting from Badoni as he swept and reduce Natarajan for 2 consecutive boundaries within the 17th over.
Badoni displayed some cheeky photographs because the right-hander notched up his fifty in 28 balls.
(With inputs from PTI)
