A packed Narendra Modi Stadium buzzed with anticipation as Qualifier 1 began, with Sunrisers Hyderabad winning the toss and opting to bat first.
The Orange Army’s openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, aimed to replicate their previous successful partnerships right from the start.
Kolkata skipper Shreyas Iyer entrusted the new ball to Australian speedster Mitchell Starc, who was ready to set the tone. On the second ball of the match, the 34-year-old pacer delivered a beauty to his compatriot.
Head misjudged the line of the good-length delivery, which exhibited late movement after pitching. Attempting a straight drive, Head left a gap between bat and pad, allowing the ball to sneak through and smash into the middle and off stumps.
— AK DS (@AKDS580838) May 21, 2024
The Aussie opener, visibly dejected, returned to the pavilion as the KKR contingent celebrated wildly, having captured the prized wicket. The Twitterverse was equally electrified by Head’s swift dismissal, taking to social media to applaud Starc’s brilliance.