Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 13: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma celebrated his first century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during a match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Saturday. He expressed that the entire team was eagerly anticipating the arrival of his parents, whom they consider a good luck charm for the franchise.
In a remarkable display of skill, Abhishek scored 141 runs off just 55 deliveries, hitting 14 fours and 10 sixes, achieving a strike rate of 256.36.
He praised his teammates and captain for creating a supportive atmosphere, stating, "It was a special day for both of us. I usually don’t play behind the wicket, but I wanted to try some new shots that suited the pitch. My parents' presence motivated us all. We didn’t discuss our previous losses; we just played naturally. This innings is particularly meaningful as it helped break our losing streak. I appreciate the support from Yuvi paji and Suryakumar as well," Abhishek shared during the post-match interview.
With this innings, Abhishek made history by achieving the highest individual score by an Indian in IPL history, surpassing KL Rahul's previous record of 132 runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2020.
This performance ranks as the third-highest individual score in IPL history, following Chris Gayle's 175* and Brendon McCullum's 158*.
Abhishek's 116 runs from boundaries broke Jonny Bairstow's record for the most runs in an innings by an SRH player through boundaries, and his 10 sixes set a new record for the franchise, surpassing David Warner's eight.
In the match, PBKS won the toss and opted to bat first, with a solid 66-run partnership between Priyansh Arya (36 off 13 balls) and Prabhsimran Singh (42 off 23 balls). Captain Shreyas Iyer contributed significantly with 82 runs off 36 balls, while Marcus Stoinis added a quick 34* off 11 balls, leading PBKS to a total of 245/6.
For SRH, Harshal Patel (4/42) and Eshan Malinga (2/45) were the standout bowlers.
During the chase for 246 runs, Abhishek (141 off 55 balls) and Travis Head (66 off 37 balls) formed a formidable 171-run partnership. After Head's dismissal, Abhishek continued to dominate, with Heinrich Klaasen (21*) and Ishan Kishan (9*) helping to secure the victory.
This chase marks the second-highest in IPL history, following PBKS's record of 262 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders last year. SRH now sits in eighth place with two wins and four losses, while PBKS is in sixth with three wins and two losses.
