NEW DELHI: Young batting sensation
Abhishek Sharma
smashed 66 as Sunrisers Hyderabad cruised to a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 215, Sunrisers Hyderabad, already among the top four teams to have made the playoffs, reached the target with five balls to spare at home.
Abhishek reached his fifty in just 21 balls, hitting five fours and six sixes in his 28-ball blitz to set up the chase.
He formed an attacking partnership of 72 runs with Rahul Tripathi, who scored 33, before Nitish Kumar Reddy and
Heinrich Klaasen
steadied the innings and secured the win.
After bagging the Player of the Match award, Abhishek said he has benefitted a lot after working with batting great
Brian Lara
.
"I have done some work with him, he's in touch. That's helping me now," Abhishek said.
"My days are going good so I should utilise it for my team. I wanted to contribute as the target was big today. I think I have told this before, during Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy I was clear how I was going to play and dominate in the IPL," he said.
"I'm just waiting for the loose balls, I am going hard against them and trying to put them (bowlers) under pressure," Abhishek added.
Abhishek, who is batting at a strike rate of 209.41 in this IPL season, received the biggest compliment of his life from his captain Pat Cummins.
Cummins, who guided Australia to an ODI World Cup title in 2023 in India, said he wouldn't like to bowl at the explosive left-hander as "it's scary".
"He (Abhishek) is amazing. I wouldn't want to bowl to him. It's scary as he plays with freedom, not only against pacers but also against spinners," Cummins said at the post-match presentation.
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