Sports: Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma etched his name in the annals of the Indian Premier League on April 12th, delivering a historic performance that saw him register the highest-ever individual score by an Indian batsman in the tournament’s history.
The electrifying feat unfolded at Sunrisers Hyderabad’s home ground, the Uppal Stadium, during their IPL clash against the Punjab Kings. Abhishek unleashed a ferocious display of batting prowess, amassing a staggering 141 runs in a mere 55 deliveries, punctuated by 14 boundaries and 10 towering sixes. His whirlwind innings came at an astonishing strike rate of 256.36.
In reaching this monumental score, Abhishek surpassed the previous record held by KL Rahul, who had scored 132 runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2020 edition of the IPL. Furthermore, Abhishek’s innings now stands as the third-highest individual score in the IPL’s overall history, trailing only the unbeaten 175 by Chris Gayle for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors India in 2013 and Brendon McCullum’s blistering knock for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the inaugural 2008 season.
The sheer dominance of Abhishek’s innings was further underscored by the fact that he accumulated 116 of his runs through boundaries, eclipsing the previous Sunrisers Hyderabad record of 90 runs via boundaries held by Jonny Bairstow. Additionally, his 10 sixes in the innings represent the most maximums struck by a Sunrisers Hyderabad player in a single IPL innings, surpassing David Warner’s previous best of eight.
Earlier in the match, Punjab Kings, after winning the toss and electing to bat, posted a formidable total of 245 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs. Contributions from Priyansh Arya (36), Prabhsimran Singh (42), a blistering half-century from captain Shreyas Iyer (82), and a late cameo from Marcus Stoinis (34*) propelled their innings. Harshal Patel (4/42) and Eshan Malinga (2/45) were the notable wicket-takers for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
However, the Punjab Kings’ imposing total proved insufficient against the brilliance of Abhishek Sharma and the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting lineup. In their chase of 246 runs, Abhishek, partnered with Travis Head (66 off 37 balls), forged a scintillating 171-run opening stand. Even after Head’s dismissal, Abhishek continued his onslaught, while Heinrich Klaasen (21) and Ishan Kishan (9) provided the finishing touches, guiding their team to a remarkable victory.
This successful chase marks the second-highest run chase in IPL history, only behind the 262 runs chased by Punjab Kings against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous season. Following this thrilling encounter, Sunrisers Hyderabad has climbed to the eighth position in the league standings with two wins and four losses, while Punjab Kings currently occupy the sixth spot with three wins and two losses.
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