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Magnificent Abhishek downs Punjab

football12 April 2025 18:07| © MWP
By:Brendon Atwell
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A brilliant century from Abhiskek Sharma guided the Sunrisers Hyderabad to a commanding eight-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday evening.

Sharma’s brilliant 141 guided the Sunrisers to 247-2 with nine balls to spare in response to Punjab’s 245 for six after the Kings had won the toss and elected to bat first.

Captain Shreyas Iyer led the way with a magnificent 82 from only 36 balls, which included six fours and six maximums after Priyansh Arya (36) and Prabhsimran Singh (42) had given the visitors the perfect start with a season-record opening stand of 66 from just 24 balls.

Opening bowlers Mohammad Shami (4-0-75-0) and Pat Cummins (4-0-40-0) were given the early treatment before the introduction of Harshal Patel (4-0-42-4), who broke the opening stand, having Arya caught by Nitish Reddy at mid-wicket.

Patel added the wickets of Iyer, Shashank Singh (2) and Glenn Maxwell (3) to end with the most respectable figures among a dire bowling effort.

SENSATIONAL SHARMA

In response, Sharma’s 55-ball innings included 14 boundaries and a staggering 10 maximums to guide his side to a momentous victory.

His opening stand of 171 with Australian Travis Head (66) set the tone for what turned out to be an easy chase of a difficult target.

Head’s 66 came from only 37 balls with nine fours and three sixes to give the Sunrisers the perfect start.

When Yuzvendra Chahal (4-0-56-1) had Head caught at long-on from a strong top-edge by Maxwell, the writing was on the wall already.

Sharma and South African stalwart Heinrich Klaasen bludgeoned 51 for the second wicket from only 24 balls before Sharma’s extraordinary innings came to an end, caught at deep mid-wicket from the bowling of Arshdeep Singh (4-0-37-1), who proceeded to give Sharma the biggest of hugs from the mammoth innings.

Klaasen, who ended unbeaten on 21 from 14 balls and Ishan Kishan (9 not out), finished off the game as Klaasen struck his secondary boundary to land the victorious punch.

Despite having played one more match than the Kings, the Sunrisers moved to within two points of their visitors but still have a lot of work to do in moving forwards to the playoffs.

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aniket Verma, Eshan Malings, Pat Cummins (capt), Zeeshan Ansari, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami

PUNJAB KINGS: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson

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