All SRH need to do now is not believe in their own hype

What was it that struck Uppal last night between 9:20 PM and 10:30 PM on Wednesday? Was it a hurricane - a remnant of the one that lingered across the city's limits on Tuesday night - or was it the solidification of the qualification hopes of the franchise representing the Deccan in the Indian Premier League?

With this massive ten-wicket win that they achieved within ten overs over Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in the city on Wednesday, SunRisers Hyderabad sent a message to all their opponents in the league - they are here to win the title, or break a few bones.

Abhishek Sharma (75*) and Travis Head (89*) quite gently undid what their bowlers had vicariously achieved in the slog overs by allowing Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni to run amok on Uppal's lush green expanses.

When, for long periods, it appeared as if SRH would restrict their opponents to a lowly total, their bowling imploded at the wrong time, sending a message to everyone at the ground - as well as those watching on TV - that they could not be trusted.

However, all concepts of distrust in the side's ability to finish what they had started earlier this tournament seemed to vanish in thin air once Travis Head took two big strides to step out to Krishnappa Gowtham and launch into a massive hit over his head.

He repeated that more than a few times in that over, but by then, both LSG and the onlookers who had made the trip east from the city centre via metro owing to the shoddy weather, were deflated beyond relief. There did not seem to be enough empty seats - or variations in LSG's armoury - as the game drew to a close.

By then, Head's dance had just begun.

Abhishek Sharma's elegance surpassed the floodlight failure

Did Abhishek Sharma defeat LSG with just one hand on Wednesday? [IPL]

Abhishek, from the other end, merely wanted to match his older teammate's antics on the field, but seemed to many, to outwit - and even outlast - the latter completely by the time the non-functioning of the floodlights was forgotten.

His cover drives glorious and inside-out shots devious, Abhishek appeared in all his glory - and for all intents and purposes - chasing down a total that far exceeded the paltry 166 LSG had set in his mind.

No sooner than Head had started dictating his authority from one end of the pitch than Abhishek was roused strongly enough to domineer that which he felt was rightfully his, and that which he would not let go, despite KL Rahul's awkward shrugs.

SRH - if they had not done so before - have now earmarked themselves as the biggest contenders of the trophy this season. That which has eluded them since 2017 seems now to be close at hand, and all they can do to grasp it is by not believing in their own hype.

Their bowlers, who seemed at peace with their own bearings until the final few overs of the LSG innings, will need some soul-searching to make sure that the playoff berth - the first stop on the way to winning the title - is not fluffed. It may seem easier said than done.

The rest of their batters - many of whom have come up short when pushed to the wall in the rare case of a Head failure - will have to step up at the right time to ensure that the Chennai-owned franchise has a chance of tasting silverware again.

Led by Pat Cummins - who has enough experience of winning titles to know that they are not done in a day - the Eagles will be perceptive enough to realise that with such intimidating performances, the eyes of everyone in the league will be upon them. It is a burden, but also a responsibility.