Travis Head is not every Indian's beloved yet, but he is almost getting there

Any word other than 'freak' associated with Travis Head might be a misnomer. And yet, had he not played the knock that he did against a certain team in blue on November 19, 2023, in Ahmedabad might have allowed us to find some space in our hearts to love him.

Or even like him.

Yet, Head makes it extremely difficult for anyone who has seen him bat this season in the IPL to not feel a sense of semblance with what he represents.

And what he represents is something beyond the ordinary, beyond what can be achieved by humans normally trained to hit the ball a long way, and certainly by humans arriving from Down Under, where T20 cricket traditionally has been held in less esteem than the gentrified formats.

SunRisers Hyderabad, the franchise that was smart enough to bet upon him and his captain Pat Cummins in the auction ahead of the season, have already scored two of the highest totals ever in the IPL this season.

The second, coming on Monday, April 15, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, broke a record that they had set for themselves, with Travis Head largely responsible for the carnage that ensued.

For the unversed, the Australian scored a century off just 39 balls, setting up the launchpad for his team to post what might have seemed to be an exaggerated version of the videogame EA Sports' Cricket O7.

Travis Head played all sorts of strokes in his knock on Monday. [IPL]

Four out of the top five totals in the history of the IPL have come in this season, two of which happened in Bengaluru on Monday. The aggregate of 549 runs is the highest ever in a game of T20, and Head played a more than significant role in ensuring that.

SRH, however, dropped their intensity levels down when bowling, with RCB almost pulling a win off thanks to the pyrotechnics displayed by the ageless Dinesh Karthik.

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SRH bowlers also need to step up to back Travis Head's good work at the top

The Eagles' bowling, precipitated by the aforementioned assault, wilted under pressure on the road disguised as a pitch that seemed to have adjoined from the nearby Church Street abutting Cubbon Park, as they did against Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad earlier this season.

The trick of bowling slower bouncers - given that two bouncers are allowed in IPL 2024 - has worked only at times for the Eagles, but it did not, to a large extent on Monday.

Indeed, none of the SRH bowlers went for an economy of less than 10 per over on Monday. Abhishek Sharma was the most economical with the 10 runs he conceded off the first over of the second innings.

SRH captain Pat Cummins speaking to T Natarajan on Monday. [IPL]

It was only the cushion that Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (67), Sharma (34), Aiden Markram (32), and Abdul Samad (37) provided that allowed Hyderabad to not get too fazed by the rampaging Karthik and Anuj Rawat.

It may appear at times that the solution to most of SRH's problems can be Head and the rest of the batters at the top of their order. But, unfortunately, that cannot hold them in good stead while aiming for the championship.

To win the IPL this year - which SRH, in all eagerness, are looking to do - the Eagles have to strike a balance that has a bit more on the plate of the bowlers, and a tad less on Head's every time he walks out to bat.

That might just allow Hyderabadis - and other Indians - to find some room in their heart to love him, and the franchise more.