From soaring run rates in powerplay to record-breaking totals, former champions Sunerisers Hyderabad have emerged as one of the front runners to secure an early place in the playoff stage of the Indian Premier League 2024. Mighty impressed with the free-scoring SRH side led by World Cup-winner Pat Cummins, legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram has sympathised with the premier bowlers plying their trade in the cash-rich league.
Champions in the 2016 edition of the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad, shattered their own record by posting the highest-ever total in the history of the league this season. In match No.8 of the IPL 2024, Abhishek Sharma-starrer SRH smashed a record-setting 277/3 in 20 overs against Mumbai Indians. After 22 games, SRH hammered Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowlers by registering the IPL record with a massive total of 287/3 in 20 overs. Sunrisers Hyderabad batters smashed 22 sixes against RCB – the most by any team in the IPL.
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‘Thank God, I am not playing cricket in this era’
Speaking to Sportskeeda ahead of SRH’s rematch with RCB, former Pakistan skipper Akram opined that bowlers are getting destroyed in the ongoing season of the IPL. “Thank God, I am not playing cricket in this era. I mean they are scoring 270 in 20 overs. It’s like 450 or 500 in a 50-over game. If it happened once, it was okay, but this has happened three-four times, which shows how strong the batting is. It is illegal to score 100 runs in 5 overs. How can this happen? Even if you bowl full-tosses, it is tough to do it. For bowlers, it has become like take money and get destroyed here. I feel for the bowlers in this format,” Akram said.
‘Heinrich Klaasen is one of my favourite players’
The former Pakistan captain branded SRH as the most destructive side in franchise cricket. The fast-bowling icon also reserved special praise for South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen. SRH batter Klaasen has smashed 268 runs in seven matches this season. “Heinrich Klaasen is one of my favourite players in the world if you talk about white-ball cricket. His ability to hit sixes is incredible. Abdul Samad is doing a good job as a finisher. He is playing his role well. Also, Pat Cummins’ presence as a captain has brought some calmness in the SRH dressing room,” Akram concluded.
IPL 2024
