Abhishek Sharma’s 55-ball 141 and his 171-run stand with Travis Head help Sunrisers Hyderabad script IPL’s second-highest successful chase, gunning down Punjab Kings’ 245 with 9 balls to spare.
Hyderabad, April 13: Abhishek Sharma delivered a knock for the ages as he smashed a breathtaking 141 off 55 balls, helping Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) chase down a massive 246-run target set by Punjab Kings (PBKS) in just 18.3 overs. With nine balls to spare and only two wickets lost, SRH’s reply turned a high-octane contest into a one-sided spectacle at Uppal Stadium.
Sharma’s onslaught was perfectly complemented by Travis Head’s composed 66 off 37 balls. Together, the duo stitched a 171-run opening stand that laid the perfect foundation for what is now the second-highest run chase in IPL history, just behind PBKS’ own record of 262 chased against KKR last season.
SRH’s dominance was evident from the get-go. Travis Head struck two boundaries off Arshdeep Singh in the opening over, but it was Abhishek who stole the show with four fours in the second over and an unrelenting spree that followed. By the end of the powerplay, SRH had raced to 83/0.
Abhishek reached his fifty in just 19 balls and never looked back. Whether it was Yash Thakur’s costly over or Chahal’s spin, nothing could tame the southpaw. He brought up his maiden IPL century in just 40 balls, eventually falling to Arshdeep Singh after hitting 14 fours and 10 sixes in a devastating 55-ball 141.
SRH cruised past the target with Heinrich Klaasen (21*) and Ishan Kishan (9*) finishing the job.
Earlier, Punjab Kings posted a formidable 245/6, built on skipper Shreyas Iyer’s quickfire 82 off 36 balls and Marcus Stoinis’ late blitz—34 off just 10 deliveries. The top-order gave PBKS a blazing start, but Harshal Patel’s four-wicket haul brought SRH back into the contest during the death overs.
Despite the enormous total, the night belonged to “Travishek” – a nickname that’s fast becoming synonymous with destruction in the powerplay.
With this win, SRH move to eighth in the points table with two wins in six matches, while PBKS sit sixth with three wins from five games.
Brief Scores:
PBKS – 245/6 (Shreyas Iyer 82, Prabhsimran 42, Harshal Patel 4/42)
SRH – 247/2 in 18.3 overs (Abhishek Sharma 141, Travis Head 66, Arshdeep Singh 1/37)
Result: SRH won by 8 wickets.