Travis Head makes history with fastest fifty for SRH, Abhishek Sharma shatters record moments later

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Travis Head set the stage on fire in the ongoing game against Mumbai Indians (MI). The 8th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is taking place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. 

Travis Head, who didn’t get an opportunity in the first game, made sure that he made a statement in an ongoing game against Mumbai Indians. The hard-hitting opening batter came out all guns blazing and made sure that he took his team off the brutal start at their home ground in Hyderabad. 

Travis Head showed no mercy on Mumbai Indians bowlers as he made the bowlers look clueless and ensured that he gave the home crowd everything to cheer about. He played some magnificent shots in his innings and made commentators tout him as a ‘six-hitting machine’. 

Travis Head’s brutal innings at the top made Sunrisers Hyderabad register their highest-ever total in the powerplay in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Pat Cummins-led side scored 81 runs off the first six overs and only lost one wicket in Mayank Agarwal (11). 

The team surpassed their previous best of 79/0 against Kolkata Knight Riders They achieved the feat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017. They also registered 77 against Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in IPL 2019 and 2020 respectively. 

Highest Powerplay scores for SRH 

81/1 vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024

79/0 vs KKR, Hyderabad, 2017

77/0 vs PBKS, Hyderabad, 2019

77/0 vs DC, Dubai, 2020 

Travis Head brought up his half-century in just 18 balls. This was also the third-fastest fifty against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The southpaw batted with a strike rate of over 258 and slammed 9 fours and 3 sixes in his innings. He scored 62 runs off just 24 balls.

Abhishek Sharma shatters record of Travis Head’s record of fastest fifty by SRH batter 

If it was Travis Head, who stole the limelight with his brutal innings in the powerplay, Abhishek Sharma made sure that he overshadows the innings by the Australian opener. The left-hander, who came to bat at No.3 made sure that he damages Mumbai bowlers further at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. 

Abhishek Sharma didn’t put a foot wrong in his innings as played magnificent shots in his innings. The southpaw made every Mumbai Indians bowler that he faced pay. He brought up his half-century in just 16 balls and ended with an innings of 63 runs off 23 balls. He had a strike rate of around 275 and slammed three boundaries and 7 sixes in his innings. 

He was looking all set for a big knock but his stay at the crease was cut short by Piyush Chawal. The batter tried to hit the big six and was caught by Naman Dhir just inches inside the boundary rope. Sharma along with Travis Head has completely taken the game away from Mumbai.

Here is the list of fastest IPL fifties for SRH (by balls taken)

16 – Abhishek Sharma vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024
18 – Travis Head vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024
20 – David Warner vs CSK, Hyderabad, 2015
20 – David Warner vs KKR, Hyderabad, 2017
20 – Moises Henriques vs RCB, Hyderabad, 2015
21 – David Warner vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2016