Hyderabad, April 22
Sunrisers Hyderabad star batter Abhishek Sharma, following his record-breaking hundred against Delhi Capitals, said he and Travis Head aimed to attack early but had to adjust their approach due to the slow pitch.
He noted that the conditions made it difficult to judge a par score and emphasised the importance of support from the captain, coaches, and team management, which has enabled him to play with freedom and confidence, saying I play like this for Punjab and Punjabi players like to play freely.
Sharma shattered multiple records as he slammed his second-highest score in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Sharma was in sensational form on Tuesday as Sunrisers Hyderabad hosted Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026.
He brought up his second IPL century off just 47 balls, smashing 9 fours and 10 massive sixes in a breathtaking display of power-hitting.
He finished unbeaten on 135 off 68 deliveries, as Sunrisers Hyderabad piled up a formidable 242/2 in their 20 overs. The knock marked Sharma's second IPL century.
"The way we started, we had a plan, Head and I wanted to make use of the power play. But the wicket was slow, so we had to adjust and come up with different plans. We don't know the par score till both innings have been batted. Special mention to the team coaches and captains, when they give you the freedom to go and express yourself. You have to have the backing of the captain and the coach. The management we had in 2024 was a game-changer. I always wanted to play like this. I play like this for Punjab, and Punjabi players like to play freely," Sharma said after the match.
Sharma was awarded Player of the match for his outstanding hundred. This was Sharma's seventh POTM award in 81 games, the most for an Indian player for SRH, surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar's six across 145 games.
With this effort, Abhishek moved to nine T20 centuries, drawing level with Virat Kohli among Indian batters.
In the all-time list, Chris Gayle leads with 22 centuries, followed by Babar Azam (12) and David Warner (10), while Abhishek now joins a group featuring players such as Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and Sahibzada Farhan.
SRH skipper Ishan Kishan also credited Abhishek Sharma for his outstanding innings and praised Heinrich Klaasen for finishing strongly. He said the team is focused on taking one match at a time, playing according to conditions rather than following rigid plans.
"What do I say right now with the way Abhishek batted and how Klaasen finished it off. All the credit goes to Abhishek, I feel. The discussion is to take it match by match. Everyone likes to hit in our team, we have to understand the conditions, we don't have a plan behind it, but just watch the ball and play accordingly. I just wanted the ratio of balls and runs to get as far as possible. Whenever I get Harsh on him, he will deliver; he is smart - that worked out. Not so much, I just enjoy," Kishan said after the match.
Defending a massive total of 243, Eshan Malinga produced a superb four-wicket haul to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to a convincing 47-run victory over Delhi Capitals.
- ANI
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