Abhishek Sharma’s explosive half-century led Sunrisers Hyderabad to a thrilling four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in the IPL match in Hyderabad on Sunday. Punjab Kings posted a challenging total of 214/5, thanks to Prabhsimran Singh’s brilliant 71 and skipper Jitesh Sharma’s late heroics. However, Abhishek Sharma’s quickfire 66 off 28 balls, supported by contributions from Henrich Klaasen, Rahul Tripathi, and Nitish Reddy, helped SRH chase down the target with five balls to spare.
The win propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to the second spot on the table with 17 points from 14 matches, but their final position will depend on the outcome of the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. Rajasthan, with 16 points, have the opportunity to overtake SRH for the second spot with a win over KKR.
Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive batting display, which included six sixes and five boundaries, was the highlight of the match. Despite losing Travis Head early in the chase, SRH remained in control throughout, with Klaasen and Tripathi also making valuable contributions.
Punjab Kings, on the other hand, got off to a strong start with Prabhsimran Singh and Atharva Taide putting on a solid opening partnership. However, a middle-order collapse and some crucial wickets by SRH bowlers restricted them to a competitive total.
Overall, it was a thrilling encounter between the two teams, with Abhishek Sharma’s explosive innings proving to be the difference-maker for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The win puts them in a strong position heading into the final stages of the tournament.