Explosive opening batter Abhishek Sharma lit up the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium with his scorching century against Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings in match 27 of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, on April 12 (Saturday). He became the third batter this season and second from SRH to hit a hundred this season. His knock took the game away from PBKS, who were appearing in a great position after posting 245 runs on the scoreboard.
Abhishek Sharma smashes blazing ton
SRH needed 246 runs to win this match; the target appeared chasable as per their standards, but their out-of-form batting had the side concerned. However, all the concerns were sidelined as Abhishek Sharma smashed a 19-ball fifty and converted it into a ton in 40 balls. He joined a 171-run opening partnership with Travis Head and ensured his team got a perfect start for the massive chase.
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Travis Head got out after scoring 66 runs off 37 balls. However, his partnership with Abhishek propelled the SRH side to a start that put them really close to the massive target.
Earlier, star bowler Mohammed Shami set a record for the most expensive bowling spell by an Indian in the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025). Punjab Kings (PBKS) amassed a huge score of 245/6 in their allocated 20 overs after Shami gave up a staggering 75 runs from his four overs. The speedster also recorded the second-highest bowling stats in IPL history, falling just one run short of Jofra Archer's dreadful 0/76 record. Shami did not have a particularly spectacular start to the match as he let up 14 runs and was struck for three straight boundaries by Prabhsimran Singh in the first over.
In addition to Shami, SRH also claimed wickets from debutant Eshan Malinga (2/45) and Harshal Patel (4/42). With the aid of six fours and an equal number of sixes, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer produced an outstanding innings of 82 (36) to maintain his recent run of success. Marcus Stoinis (34* off 11), Nehal Wadhera (27 off 22), Prabhsimran Singh (42 off 23), and Priyansh Arya (36 off 13) all came out firing for PBKS, providing him with strong assistance.