Abhishek Sharma takes out chit after blasting 40-ball IPL century, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer takes it to read
IPL 2025, SRH vs PBKS: Abhishek Sharma smashed 141 runs off 55 balls, which was embellished with 14 fours and 10 sixes.
SunRisers Hyderabad's opening batter Abhishek Sharma scored his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) century as he put on a brutal hitting display against Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday. The left-handed batter completed his century off just 40 balls in the 13th over of SunRisers Hyderabad's chase of 246.
Abhishek Sharma brought up his century off the bowling of Yuzvendra Chahal. As soon as the youngster brought up the landmark, the entire crowd at the Uppal erupted in jubilation to give a standing ovation. With this century, Abhishek Sharma recorded the sixth-fastest ton in the history of the IPL.
After completing the century, Abhishek Sharma displayed a white piece of paper and was seen flaunting it towards the crowd. When the cameras zoomed in on the paper, one could read, “This one is for the Orange Army.”
For the uninitiated, the Orange Army refers to the fanbase of the SunRisers Hyderabad. When Abhishek Sharma brought out the paper, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer couldn't stop himself from going towards the batter to see what was written.
Abhishek Sharma eventually walked back to the hut after scoring 141 runs off 55 balls with the help of 14 fours and 10 sixes. This effort helped SunRisers Hyderabad chase down 246 with eight wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. With this, SRH pulled off the second-highest chase in the history of the IPL.
During this innings against Punjab Kings, Abhishek Sharma also recorded the highest score by a SunRisers Hyderabad batter, going past the previous best of 126 by David Warner. Abhishek also recorded the highest score by an Indian batter in the IPL, beating the previous best of KL Rahul.
Abhishek Sharma now also has the third-highest individual score in the tournament's history, only behind Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum.
Chasing 246, Abhishek Sharma, along with Travis Head, put on an opening stand of 171 runs. Travis Head also looked in sublime touch, and he departed back to the hut after scoring 66 runs off 37 balls with the help of nine fours and three sixes.
Heading into the match against Punjab Kings, Abhishek Sharma was struggling for runs, and even the SunRisers Hyderabad lagged behind.
Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head put on a masterclass
Chasing 246, SunRisers Hyderabad were dependent on a blistering start at the top and this is exactly what Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma provided. The duo didn't spare anyone as they launched a brutal onslaught, leaving Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer searching for answers.
Abhishek Sharma was the aggressor of the two and he didn't spare anyone, going after the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Glenn Maxwell.
Earlier, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas won the toss and opted to bat first. Punjab Kings posted 245/6 in the allotted twenty overs, owing to a 82-run knock by Shreyas Iyer.
