SRH clinch victory in style with Abhishek Sharma’s historic 141 against Punjab

Abhishek Sharma played a record-breaking knock as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL 2025 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Abhishek’s blistering 141 off 55 balls, which included 14 boundaries and 10 sixes, shattered the record for the highest individual score by an Indian player in IPL history. He surpassed KL Rahul’s previous record of 132* to etch his name in the record books.

Earlier, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer led from the front, smashing a whirlwind 82 off just 36 balls to help his side post an imposing total of 245/6. Iyer’s innings, which featured 6 fours and as many sixes, was the backbone of Punjab`s massive score. The late fireworks came from Marcus Stoinis, whose four consecutive sixes off Mohammed Shami in the final over ensured PBKS surpassed the 240-run mark, setting an intimidating target for the home side.

In the chase, SRH were off to a flying start thanks to the explosive opening partnership between Sharma and Travis Head.

Head, playing a supporting role, made 66 off 37 balls before falling, but Abhishek continued to pile on the runs, anchoring the chase with finesse. His knock was relentless, taking SRH to victory with 3 balls to spare.

Punjab`s innings had started with an electrifying opening stand between Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Arya, in particular, was on fire, smashing 36 off 13 balls, while Prabhsimran contributed a quickfire 42 off 23 deliveries. Their opening partnership of 66 runs inside the powerplay set a blazing pace for the innings.

Shreyas Iyer then took charge, playing a range of sumptuous shots all around the ground. His effortless strokeplay dismantled the SRH bowlers in the middle overs, though his innings was cut short when he was dismissed by Harshal Patel, who was the standout bowler for SRH with figures of 4/42.

Eshan Malinga, making his IPL debut for SRH and nephew of the legendary Lasith Malinga, picked up 2 wickets but conceded 45 runs in his four overs. Nehal Wadhera also contributed with 27 runs, while Stoinis’ fiery 34* propelled Punjab to a total that proved to be too much for SRH.

Despite some early signs of resistance, the chase proved to be a daunting task for Hyderabad, leaving them needing a perfect performance to chase down the enormous target.