SRH vs RR: England star Jofra Archer goes for record 76 runs in IPL drubbing

England fast bowler Jofra Archer returned the most expensive bowling figures in the Indian Premier League on Sunday when he was hammered for 76 runs in his four overs as Rajasthan Royals were put to the sword by the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen.

Hyderabad were invited to bat first and posted a mammoth 286-6, falling one short of their best of 287, which remains the T20 tournament`s highest ever total. Archer`s analysis eclipsed that of Gujarat Titans` seam bowler Mohit Sharma who went for 73 in a match last year.

Archer had a bad start when he gave away 23 runs in his first over as Hyderabad`s Travis Head smashed him for four fours and a six. Head went on to make 67 from 31 balls, setting the stage for Ishan Kishan who clubbed an unbeaten 106 off 47 balls with 11 fours and six sixes.

The Hyderabad total included a remarkable 34 fours and 12 sixes. Last year, Hyderabad, led by Pat Cummins and runners-up in the previous edition, posted the highest-ever innings total of 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2024.

In sultry Hyderabad heat, Royals` inexperienced skipper Riyan Parag committed a blunder by opting to bowl on the flattest deck on offer in IPL.

The result was inevitable with Travis Head taking the Royals attack to cleaners with 67 off 31 balls and then Kishan blazed in an unfamiliar orange jersey with an audacious 106 not out off 47 balls to beef up the SRH total. Head and Kishan hit 20 fours and nine sixes between them.

SRH picked up from where they left the last season and could have bettered their own and IPL`s best ever total (287/3) but two wickets fell in the final over.

Archer, Royals` most experienced bowler looked a bit undercooked as he was sent soaring into orbit by Head, who smashed 23 off his first over. The Barbados born Englishman didn`t recover after that. If Head swivelled him off his hips for a pick-up pull-shot, Kishan muscled him over extra cover and used his pace to scoop him over keep for same result.

If Archer`s pace became his bane, Fazalhaq Farooqi (0/49 in 3 overs) and Sandeep Sharma`s (1/51 in 4 overs) lack of it was an even bigger issue.

Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana (2/52 in 4 overs) found out that not every ground is Chepauk and he lost his length on multiple occasions. Only Tushar Deshpande (3/44 in 4 overs) returned with some kind of a respectable stat at the end of the innings.

(With agency inputs)