Abhishek Sharma delivered one of the most explosive starts of the season as Sunrisers Hyderabad tore into Punjab Kings to register the joint third-highest powerplay total in the history of the Indian Premier League on Saturday, April 11.

At the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, the world No.1 T20I batter hammered 74 off just 28 balls, powering SRH to a staggering 105 for no loss in the first six overs. The total equalled the third-highest powerplay score in IPL history, adding another entry to Hyderabad’s growing list of record-breaking starts in recent seasons.

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Abhishek’s intent was evident from the outset. He opened his account by lofting Arshdeep Singh over covers for a boundary and followed it up by taking on Xavier Bartlett, striking cleanly down the ground. The pressure quickly mounted on the Punjab attack, with Abhishek dictating terms and forcing errors.

Arshdeep’s second over summed up the early chaos. Struggling for control, the left-arm seamer conceded 20 runs, including four wides, as Abhishek raced to 34 off just 13 balls. At the other end, Travis Head was content playing a supporting role initially, scoring just 3 off his first five deliveries as Abhishek dominated the strike.

A change in bowling brought Marco Jansen into the attack, but the move failed to stem the flow of runs. Head took on the tall left-armer to get going, ensuring there was no let-up in scoring pressure. The decisive blow, however, came in the fifth over when Abhishek dismantled Vijaykumar Vyshak in brutal fashion.

Vyshak was taken apart for four towering sixes in the over as Abhishek surged to his half-century in just 18 balls, bringing up the landmark with a maximum on the fourth delivery of the over. In doing so, he became the first cricketer in the world to register five IPL fifties in fewer than 20 balls, underlining his growing reputation as one of the most dangerous batters in the format.

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer shuffled his bowlers in search of a breakthrough, reintroducing Bartlett in an attempt to break the rhythm. But Abhishek continued to find boundaries with ease, and on the penultimate ball of the powerplay, he launched another six to take SRH past the 100-run mark in just 5.5 overs. It was only the fifth instance of a team breaching the 100-run barrier inside the first six overs in IPL history, with Sunrisers Hyderabad accounting for three of those occasions.

The opening stand also reinforced its place among the most productive in the league. Abhishek and Head moved to five 100-plus partnerships in the IPL, joining the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner, as well as Jonny Bairstow and Warner, on the all-time list. The pair also matched the tally of Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli for most century opening stands in the IPL.

Abhishek’s dominance in the powerplay was reflected in the numbers. He scored 66 of his runs in the first six overs, the second-highest by an SRH batter in this phase, only behind Head’s 84 against Delhi Capitals in 2024. He also equaled the record for most sixes in a powerplay in IPL history, smashing seven, a feat previously achieved by Sanath Jayasuriya, Jos Buttler and Bairstow.

The onslaught finally came to an end in the ninth over when part-time off-spinner Shashank Singh provided a breakthrough, dismissing both openers in the same over. Head departed for a brisk 38 off 23 balls, striking at over 165, while Abhishek fell soon after for 74 off 28 deliveries.

His innings, laced with eight sixes and five fours, came at a strike rate of 264.29 and had already swung the momentum firmly in Hyderabad’s favour. By the time he walked back, the contest had been decisively tilted, with Punjab Kings left searching for answers after being overwhelmed in the first six overs itself.

Abhishek Sharma’s knock was not just about numbers but about control and clarity in approach. He picked lengths early, trusted his hitting zones and showed little hesitation in taking on both pace and change-ups. In a format where starts often dictate outcomes, his innings ensured Sunrisers Hyderabad seized control of the match within the powerplay itself.

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Jamie Smith experienced terrible disappointment last year after he found out that there were no buyers for him in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His base price was ₹2 crore, which in many ways is an indication that the player strongly expects himself to find a team. The less the base price is, the more uncertain the player is. No rocket science there!

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Anyway, the Ashes was underway when the mini-auction happened, and the England wicketkeeper batsman was having a horrible time in the time-honoured series, particularly with the bat. That may have influenced the IPL franchises not to go for him.

Disappointed, Smith decided to revive his career. At present, he is playing county cricket for Surrey and on Friday, he scored a fantastic 166 against Leicestershire at the Kia Oval as his team finished the first day on 412/6. Isn’t he on the right path?

“At the time, I would have definitely liked to have gone [to the IPL]. It’s an ambition of mine to strengthen all sides of my game, and I see the IPL as something that can really enhance the white-ball side and does have benefits again to the red-ball [game].

“But in hindsight, yeah, it’s fantastic to come here and have a block of red-ball [cricket] behind me. I felt that towards the back end of the summer and into the winter, technically, I felt a little bit out of kilter,” the Surrey star said last month.

“It’s been nice to come here [The Oval] and work on a couple of things, and then I’ll be able to hopefully implement them, for six or seven [County Championship] games, and we’ll see where we get to if there’s any England stuff after that. But, yeah, it’s nice to have a little block to try and get things right,” he added.

He wasn’t part of England’s T20 squads for Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Not as an excuse, but Smith said too much cricket, particularly the five-game series, was one of the reasons he fared less than expected behind the wicket.

“Mistakes are going to happen. The India series was physically and mentally very tough. It was my first five-Test series. Also, we were out in the field for 22 out of 25 days or something stupid, and all the Tests lasted [five days]. By the end, it was just actual exhaustion: I was just knackered physically and mentally from all that had gone.

“From there, the learning was, how can you make sure that from the first to the last game, your standards are still as high as possible? It was similar in Australia, to be honest. I know a few of the games didn’t last as long as people were expecting or wanting, but again, I don’t feel like my standards were down too much,” he said.

Virat Kohli (Image credit: Agencies)

NEW DELHI: It began with Virat Kohli‘s ‘naagin dance’ and ended with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking blitz. The Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2026 clash at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Friday had entertainment written all over it – both on and off the field.With the toss delayed due to rain and wet outfield, Kohli slipped into his entertainer mode. Amid loud chants from the stands, the RCB star broke into his trademark ‘naagin dance’ during the warm-up, drawing massive cheers. The crowd erupted with chants of “Kohli! Kohli!” as the former India captain soaked in the moment with a smile.But once the game began, it was Rajasthan Royals who danced to victory.Chasing 202, RR were powered by a stunning assault from young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who hammered 78 off just 26 balls. His fearless strokeplay, combined with Dhruv Jurel’s calm and composed unbeaten 81 off 43 deliveries, guided Rajasthan to a comfortable six-wicket win.The duo stitched a match-defining 108-run stand for the second wicket in just 37 balls, taking the game away from RCB in a flash.Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had posted 201 for 8 after being put in to bat. Skipper Rajat Patidar led from the front with a fighting 63, while Kohli (32), Romario Shepherd (22) and Venkatesh Iyer (29) made useful contributions.Krunal Pandya tried to spark a comeback with two quick wickets, but Jurel, alongside Ravindra Jadeja (24), ensured there were no late twists, finishing the chase with two overs to spare.For Rajasthan, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi and Brijesh Sharma picked up two wickets each.Kohli may have won the crowd with his dance moves before the match, but it was Sooryavanshi and Jurel who had the final say, scripting yet another emphatic win for an unbeaten Rajasthan Royals side.RR will next face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 13, while RCB take on Mumbai Indians on Sunday.