Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) completed the second-highest run-chase in Indian Premier League (IPL) history with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday. Sharma's blistering knock included 14 fours and 10 sixes, as he became the first SRH player to score a century against Punjab Kings in IPL history. His 40-ball century is the second-fastest by an SRH batter, just behind Travis Head's 39-ball century earlier this season.
The chase began in dominant fashion with Head hitting two fours off Arshdeep Singh in the first over. Sharma quickly joined in, taking on Marco Jansen for four boundaries in the second over. SRH reached 50 runs in just 3.3 overs, with Abhishek already on 49*. By the end of the sixth over, SRH was 83/0, with both openers unbeaten.
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Sharma reached his first IPL 2025 fifty off just 19 balls, and the pair continued to dominate as SRH brought up 100 in 7.3 overs. The 171-run partnership was eventually broken by Yuzvendra Chahal, who dismissed Sharma for 141. SRH needed just 24 runs from the final 4.4 overs, and Heinrich Klaasen (21*) and Ishan Kishan (9*) guided them home.
Earlier, Punjab Kings posted a challenging total of 245/6, with Shreyas Iyer scoring 82 off 36 balls and Marcus Stoinis blasting an unbeaten 34 off 10 balls, including four sixes in the final over. Iyer's half-century came off just 22 balls, including five sixes, but wickets fell in quick succession after his departure. Harshal Patel was the standout bowler for SRH, claiming four wickets for 42 runs.
This victory lifted SRH to eighth place in the standings with two wins and four losses, while PBKS remains in sixth with three wins and two losses.
Brief Scores: SRH: 247/2 in 18.3 overs (Abhishek Sharma 141, Travis Head 66, Arshdeep Singh 1/37) beat PBKS: 245/6 (Shreyas Iyer 82, Prabhsimran Singh 42, Harshal Patel 4/42).
