IPL 2025, SRH vs PBKS: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma made a sensational comeback with a blistering 141 runs off just 55 balls in a challenging run chase against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 12. This knock not only helped SRH secure a thrilling win but also ended his lean patch in style.
When he brought up his maiden IPL century, Abhishek pulled out a note from his pocket that read, ‘THIS ONE IS FOR ORANGE ARMY’. The note caught the attention of PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, who curiously asked Abhishek about it on the field. What seemed like an invincible performance from the young opener was, in fact, a result of pushing through illness and self-doubt.
‘I wrote it today only because usually I wake up and write something. So, today I got a random thought that if I do something today, that will be for the Orange Army. So, luckily, I thought today was my day. I wrote it today, and I think it was a good, lucky day.’
Abhishek’s incredible performance didn’t just come out of nowhere. The 24-year-old had been struggling with illness, which had kept him down for four days. However, the support from his mentors, especially Yuvraj Singh and Suryakumar Yadav, was key in lifting his spirits and pushing him to perform at his best.
‘To be honest, I was sick for four days. I had a temperature. But luckily, you know, I feel I am very grateful to have people like Yuvraj Singh and Suryakumar Yadav around me, because they were the ones who were continuously calling me. Because they knew that I could do something like this. But still, as an individual, any player would have started doubting themselves a bit. But the thing was, it was pretty much clear that they believed in me. And you know, when someone like them believes in you, you obviously start believing again.’
Before this magical 141, Abhishek had been struggling with scores of 24, 6, 1, 2, and 18. But the faith shown by his mentors gave him the confidence to bounce back and show his true potential on the field. Abhishek also mentioned how his opening partner Travis Head and teammate Heinrich Klaasen played crucial roles in motivating him to finish the match early.
‘I asked Klaasen, what do you think? He said, just go for it. But still, somehow I felt like in this situation, if I keep going, the match can end early. Because there is no total safe here, I feel, if it’s your day. So, that was in my mind. I thought it’s my day, and I have to beat the team today.’
Abhishek’s aggressive mindset paid off, and SRH wrapped up the chase with eight wickets in hand and nine balls to spare, securing a vital win that propelled them to the eighth spot on the IPL 2025 points table.
