Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 13 (ANI): Abhishek Sharma lit up the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with a jaw-dropping knock of 141 off just 55 balls against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Hyderabad, drawing praise from cricketing legends.

The left-hander's innings, decorated with 14 boundaries and 10 sixes, came at a staggering strike rate of 256.36 and will go down as one of the most explosive knocks in IPL history.

Opening the innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Abhishek paired brilliantly with Travis Head, who himself smashed 66 off 37 balls, hitting nine boundaries and three sixes. The duo laid a solid foundation for SRH with their attacking brand of cricket, making life miserable for the PBKS bowlers.

In a heartwarming moment after reaching his century, Abhishek held up a handwritten note that read, 'This one is for Orange Army.' The gesture was later posted by Sunrisers Hyderabad's official X handle, earning widespread love from fans.

https://x.com/SunRisers/status/1911114179680797152

Cricketing greats were quick to acknowledge the brilliance of the young southpaw. Former India star Yuvraj Singh took to X to share his excitement, writing,

'Wah Sharma ji ke bete! 98 pe single, phir 99 pe single! Itni maturity ha am nahi ho rahi! Great knock @IamAbhiSharma4. Well played @TravisHead24 -- these openers are a treat to watch together! #SRHvsPBKS @IPL. Well played @ShreyasIyer15, great to watch aswell.'

https://x.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1911108995256926491

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar also hailed Abhishek's shot-making and control at the crease on his official X handle,

'Abhishek's incredible hand speed and the way he manages to get under the ball to send it miles is fantastic to watch. A knock for the ages. Keep it up!'

https://x.com/sachin_rt/status/1911119461475565984

The left-hander, who had been searching for form, finally found his rhythm and punished the Punjab attack with a mix of clean hitting and fearless strokeplay.

Despite PBKS's efforts to pull things back, Abhishek's assault proved too heavy a blow to recover from. The innings will go down as one of the most dominant batting displays of the season and could well mark a turning point in Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) campaign.

With this knock, Abhishek made history on Saturday, hitting the highest individual score by an Indian player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history.

The 24-year-old player has overtaken KL Rahul (132 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2020) as the player with the highest score by an Indian in IPL history.

Overall, next to Chris Gayle (175* for RCB against Pune Warriors India in 2013) and Brendon McCullum (for Kolkata Knight Riders against RCB in 2008), this is the third-highest individual score in IPL history.

The youngster hit 116 of his runs in boundaries, breaking the record of Jonny Bairstow (90) for most runs in an innings by an SRH batter via boundaries. Also, his 10 sixes are the most by an SRH player in an innings, overtaking David Warner's eight.

Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and elected to bat first. A 66-run stand between Priyansh Arya (36 in 13 balls, with two fours and four sixes) and Prabhsimran Singh (42 in 23 balls, with seven fours and a six) started off things well for PBKS. Later, a half-century from skipper Shreyas Iyer (82 in 36 balls, with six fours and six sixes) and a final flourish from Marcus Stoinis (34* in 11 balls, with a four and four sixes) powered PBKS to 245/6 in their 20 overs.

Harshal Patel (4/42) and Eshan Malinga (2/45) were among the wicket-takers for SRH.In the run-chase of 246 runs, Abhishek (141 in 55 balls, with 14 fours and 10 sixes) and Travis Head (66 in 37 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) started off well with a 171-run partnership. After Head was dismissed, Abhishek continued to rage while Heinrich Klaasen (21*) and Ishan Kishan (9*) put some finishing touches, chasing down the mammoth total.

This is also the second-highest run chase in IPL history, with 262 chased by PBKS against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year being at the top. SRH has risen to the eighth spot with two wins and four losses while PBKS is at sixth place, with three wins and two losses. (ANI)