The whirlwind named Abhishek Sharma hit Hyderabad once again on Wednesday (8 May), as the young Indian batter starred in what was arguably among the finest displays of opening partnerships the Indian Premier League (IPL) has ever seen. Chasing a target of 167 runs against Lucknow Super Giants, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head required all but 9.4 overs to cross the finish line and earn Sunrisers Hyderabad a couple of points.
Whilst Travis Head undoubtedly headlined the programme, with his unbeaten 30-ball 89, Abhishek was not lagging far behind, scoring 75 runs in merely 28 deliveries at a strike rate of 267.86. His knock featured eight fours and six maximums.
Speaking on his partnership with Head, which has made heads turn and broken records aplenty, Sharma credited his Australian partner by saying:
All the credit goes to Travis. The way he starts, he attacks the bowlers and the first two or three balls go to the boundaries. That takes the pressure off so I just react to the ball.Abhishek Sharma
With the knock against Lucknow, Abhishek is now 11th on the list of the leading run-scorers in IPL 2024, with 401 runs to his name. What has been more impressive, however, is his strike rate of 205.64, which is the highest among the top 24 run-scorers in this edition.
Speaking on his strike rate, he credited the Hyderabad management, stating:
I would never think of coming to such a tournament and playing at such a strike rate, but thanks to the management for the faith they've shown in me. The message was clear so I went to enjoy myself. The hard work I put in before the tournament is showing. It is going well, thanks to Yuvi paaji (Yuvraj Singh), Brian Lara and my father, who is my first coach.Abhishek Sharma
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