New Delhi, Match 28
Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Abhishek Sharma revealed that his parents' presence helped him unleash a breathtaking display of power-hitting in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 clash with Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad. His record-shattering knock of 63 runs off just 23 deliveries left spectators in awe and secured SRH's first win of the season by 31 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday night.
Abhishek attributed his extraordinary performance to the presence of his parents at the stadium, revealing that their support fuelled his motivation to excel on the field. Charged by their presence, he unleashed a barrage of boundaries and sixes, smashing the fastest fifty for SRH in a mere 16 deliveries, eclipsing Travis Head's previous record.
"I had a lot of fun as I was batting with Travis Head, and he is one of my favourite batters of the current time. He is very clear about his thoughts and what he should tell me, and he just told me to express myself," Abhishek said in the video posted by IPL.
The young batter's partnership with Heinrich Klaasen further fuelled SRH's dominance, as they adopted a fearless approach to batting, epitomised by their plan to simply "smash the ball" tactics. Abhishek's camaraderie with Head added to his joy, with the Australian batter's encouragement allowing him to express himself freely at the crease.
"I asked Klaasen 'What's your plan, what should we do now'? He said, 'If you get the ball, you hit, if I get the ball I hit'. So, I think it's a very positive thinking. It's going really good for him and us as well. The secret sauce of my performance would be that my parents had come today after so long to watch my match. Somewhere, I was boosted up as well that I had to perform in front of them. Obviously, it's very kind of him (Klaasen) to say that.
"All of us teammates, we speak to each other, they are very positive about others as well. We know about the Orange Army that whenever a match happens here, everything seems orange only. That support really motivates us and keeps us going," Abhishek added.
Reflecting on the match, Abhishek highlighted the positive team environment within the SRH camp, where players support and uplift each other. The overwhelming support from the Orange Army, SRH's passionate fan base, served as an additional source of motivation for the team.
Abhishek's blistering innings not only earned him the Player of the Match accolade but also etched his name in IPL history, contributing to a record-breaking game that witnessed a staggering 38 sixes and a total of 523 runs scored.