Hyderabad, April 18
Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a competitive total of 194/9 after a blazing start powered by Abhishek Sharma's record-breaking fifty against the Chennai Super Kings in their high-voltage Southern Derby clash at the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 season being played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.
For CSK, Jamie Overton (3/37) and Anshul Kamboj (3/22) were the standout bowlers, while Mukesh Choudhary (2/21) also chipped in with two crucial scalps.
After being asked to bat first, SRH made a steady start, reaching 23/0 in the first three overs before shifting gears dramatically in the powerplay.
Abhishek, alongside Travis Head, took charge in the fifth over, hammering 15 runs off Anshul Kamboj and breaking free from early restraint. The young left-hander then reached his half-century in just 15 deliveries, setting a new SRH record for the fastest fifty in IPL history. His previous best was a 16-ball fifty against the Mumbai Indians in the 2024 season.
However, CSK struck back quickly in the sixth over through Mukesh Choudhary, who removed both set batters in quick succession.
Travis Head departed for 23 off 20 balls, while SRH captain Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a golden duck, leaving the side at 75/2 at the end of the powerplay. The quick double blow brought CSK back into the contest after SRH's explosive start had threatened to take the game away early.
On the final delivery of the eighth over, pacer Jamie Overton claimed the crucial wicket of Abhishek Sharma, removing the in-form batter after a blistering 59 off 22 balls, which included four boundaries and as many sixes. At the end of 10 overs, Hyderabad had reached 112/3.
On the very first ball of the 11th over, Jamie Overton struck once again, dismissing Aniket Verma for just two runs. SRH then managed to regain some momentum with a flurry of boundaries, reaching 131/4 at the end of the 12th over.
Just as momentum seemed to shift in SRH's favour, Jamie Overton struck again, dismissing Nitish Reddy for 12 on the fifth ball of the 14th over. By the end of the 15th over, Sunrisers Hyderabad had crossed the 150-run mark, reaching 154/5.
On the second ball of the 16th over, bowled by Noor Ahmad, Heinrich Klaasen brought up his 10th IPL half-century off just 33 deliveries. SRH continued their strong finish, reaching 177/5 after 17 overs as the runs kept flowing.
On the second delivery of the 18th over, Anshul Kamboj provided a crucial breakthrough for his side, removing Heinrich Klaasen for 59 off 39 balls, including six fours and two sixes.
In the 19th over, Gurjapneet Singh struck for the first time, striking on the very first ball to dismiss Salil Arora for 13.
- ANI
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