The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has appointed 24-year-old Abhishek Sharma as the captain of the Punjab team for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. Sharma, who represents India, Punjab, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, will lead the side in the domestic T20 tournament. The PCA has selected a formidable squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. As the defending champions, Punjab will aim to retain their title.
Abhishek Sharma to lead Punjab in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024
In the previous edition's final, held in Mohali on November 6, Punjab set a challenging target of 223/4. Despite Abhishek Sharma's early dismissal, Anmolpreet Singh's 113 and Nehal Wadhera's 61 propelled the team to a commanding total.
Arshdeep Singh's impressive bowling performance, including a four-wicket haul, was instrumental in Punjab's victory over Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023 final. Punjab successfully defended their title with a 20-run win.
Punjab will kick off their SMAT 2024 campaign against Bengal on November 23rd in Rajkot. The team boasts a talented squad, including Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and Arshdeep Singh, and will aim to defend their title once again.
Punjab's squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024:
Abhishek Sharma (C), Prabsimran Singh (WK), Anmolpreet Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Salil Arora, Mayank Markande ,Jassinder Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Sohraab Dhaliwal, Ashwani Kumar, Naman Dhir, Harnoor Singh Pannu
SRH break bank to retain Abhishek Sharma for IPL 2025
Abhishek was one of the five players retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. He had a stellar IPL 2024 season, scoring 484 runs in 16 matches at an impressive average of 32.26 and a strike rate of 204.21. His contributions were crucial in leading SRH to the IPL 2024 final.
Abhishek formed a formidable opening partnership with Travis Head, where they adopted an aggressive approach, dismantling bowling attacks and setting high targets for the opposition.
Abhishek Sharma's impressive performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) earned him a well-deserved India debut. He has since played 12 T20I matches, scoring 256 runs at an average of 23.27 and a strike rate of 171.81, including a century.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad retained Abhishek Sharma for a significant amount of INR 14 crore. Other retained players include Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore), Pat Cummins (INR 18 crore), Travis Head (INR 14 crore), and Nitish Reddy (INR 6 crore). Meanwhile, South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen made history by becoming the most expensive player retained in IPL history, with a whopping retention fee of INR 23 crore.
