Hyderabad: Teenage South African left-arm speedster Kwena Maphaka picked by Mumbai Indians (MI) in this year's IPL as a replacement had a forgettable debut on Wednesday as he was taken to the cleaners by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batters.
Maphaka gave away 66 runs in his 4 overs, thus recording the most expensive bowling figures on IPL debut, surpassing Michael Neser’s 0/62 for PBKS vs RCB in Mohali in 2013. SRH piled up 277/3 runs in their allotted 20 overs, the highest total in IPL history. Maphaka was signed by MI as a replacement for Dilshan Madushanka, who pulled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
Maphaka had shot to fame in U19 World Cup earlier this year when he claimed 21 wickets, the highest in the tournament. He was awarded player of the tournament in what was a sensational outing for the teenage pacer. IPL, however, did not come easy for Maphaka who leaked runs at an economy of 16.50.
Another record broken during Thursday's match was that of the highest partnership for 4th wicket or below for SRH in the IPL. Heinrich Klaasen & Aiden Markram 116* vs MI surpassed 93* of MC Henriques and Yuvraj Singh vs DC, Delhi, in 2017.
Fifties from Klassen, Abhishek Sharma, and Travis Head tore the MI bowling attack apart, as SRH registered the highest score in the history of IPL. Earlier MI skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and asked the hosts, SRH, to bat first at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
