Saturday night belonged to the Orange Army, and for good reason. Sunrisers Hyderabad not only ended their four-match losing streak but did so in style, with a record-breaking 8-wicket win over the in-form Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. (Match Blog | Schedule | Points Table)
This is what SRH does best--putting on a record-breaking show, a run fest and thriller. Once again, they set the bar high with the second-fastest successful chase in IPL history, chasing down a daunting target of 246 runs in just 18.3 overs.
Abhishek Sharma led the charge, not only smashing an incredible 141 runs but also setting the record for the highest individual score for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the third-highest overall in IPL history.
Opting to bat first, Shreyas Iyer made the right call as Punjab Kings piled on a massive 245/6 -- with the skipper leading from the front with a blazing 82 off just 36 balls.
Harshal Patel picked up 4 wickets for 42 runs for Hyderabad. However, it was a disappointing outing for Mohammed Shami, who conceded 75 runs in his four overs -- just one run short of the most runs ever conceded by Jofra Archer in an IPL game.
Also, this was the second-highest total for Punjab KIngs in IPL history. Their highest total came with 262/2 vs Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024.
However, that was just the beginning. Once the chase began, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma walked out with clear intent -- tonight wasn't about playing safe, it was about rewriting the script. They started talking in the language of fours and sixes.
If Abhishek was the chief aggressor, reaching his fifty in just 19 balls, Travis Head provided solid support, blasting three sixes and nine fours in a fluent 66 off 37 balls. The duo put on a record 171-run opening stand, making a mockery of the daunting chase.
The 24-year-old from Punjab dismantled the PBKS bowling attack with brute force. Marco Jansen was taken for four boundaries in the second over, and Yash Thakur was clobbered for two sixes and a four as SRH stormed to 60 in just 4 overs.
Glenn Maxwell was welcomed with a six over extra cover and a four, but the real damage was felt by Yuzvendra Chahal, who dropped Abhishek off his own bowling and was later dispatched into the mid-wicket stands.
Having played second fiddle early on, Head shifted gears in the ninth over, smashing Maxwell for back-to-back sixes. With Sunrisers in full flow, PBKS skipper Iyer used seven bowlers within the first nine overs, but none could make a breakthrough—partly due to some sloppy fielding.
Abhishek exploded again in the 10th over, carting Jansen for two sixes and two fours as SRH raced to 143 for no loss at the halfway mark.
Chahal finally broke the partnership in the 13th over, with Head holing out to long-on. Abhishek soon reached his maiden IPL century in 40 balls and celebrated by pulling out a piece of white paper from his pocket.
Needing 60 off the last six overs, Abhishek continued the carnage with two sixes and a four off Chahal, bringing up SRH라이브 바카라 200 in the 15th over.
Thakur was smashed for another six and four before Arshdeep Singh finally ended Abhishek라이브 바카라 dream innings in the 17th over. But it was too little, too late, as Heinrich Klaasen (21) and Ishan Kishan (9) finished the chase comfortably in 18.3 overs.
With this win, SRH climb up to 8th in the points table, now sitting on 4 points from 5 games. Punjab, despite the loss, hold on to 6th place with 6 points from as many matches.
Up next, Pat Cummins and his men will face Mumbai Indians on April 17, while Punjab Kings gear up to take on Kolkata Knight Riders on April 15.
