Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 13: In a remarkable display of batting, Abhishek Sharma, the opener for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), etched his name in the record books by scoring the highest individual score by an Indian in Indian Premier League (IPL) history.
This historic feat occurred during SRH's match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Uppal Stadium, where Abhishek showcased his explosive form, amassing 141 runs off just 55 deliveries. His innings included 14 boundaries and 10 sixes, achieving a striking strike rate of 256.36.
With this performance, he surpassed KL Rahul's previous record of 132 runs, set against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2020, marking a significant milestone for Indian players in the league.
Overall, Abhishek's score stands as the third-highest in IPL history, following Chris Gayle's 175* for RCB against Pune Warriors India in 2013 and Brendon McCullum's 158.4 for KKR against RCB in 2008.
Notably, Abhishek accumulated 116 of his runs through boundaries, breaking Jonny Bairstow's record of 90 runs in boundaries for SRH. His 10 sixes also set a new record for the franchise, surpassing David Warner's previous best of eight.
In the match, PBKS won the toss and opted to bat first, with a solid start from Priyansh Arya (36 off 13 balls) and Prabhsimran Singh (42 off 23 balls). A stellar half-century from captain Shreyas Iyer (82 off 36 balls) and a late surge from Marcus Stoinis (34* off 11 balls) propelled PBKS to a total of 245/6 in their 20 overs.
For SRH, Harshal Patel (4/42) and Eshan Malinga (2/45) were the standout bowlers.
In response, SRH's chase was spearheaded by Abhishek (141 off 55 balls) and Travis Head (66 off 37 balls), who formed a formidable partnership of 171 runs. After Head's dismissal, Abhishek continued to dominate, with Heinrich Klaasen (21*) and Ishan Kishan (9*) helping to secure the victory, successfully chasing down the daunting target.
This chase marks the second-highest in IPL history, with PBKS's record of 262 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders last year still standing at the top. Following this match, SRH now sits in eighth place with two wins and four losses, while PBKS holds the sixth position with three wins and two losses.
