IPL 2025: SRH mauls PBKS’ heavy target as Abhishek launches blitzkrieg

HYDERABAD: Abhishek Sharma and his 171-run partnership with Travis Head made light work of Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) mammoth target of 246 runs as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) cruised home by eight wickets with nine balls left in their IPL encounter on Saturday.

Abhishek Sharma stuck all across the ground at Uppal Stadium here to loud cheers from the spectators.

With this comeback win after four successive losses, SRH and most importantly, their ‘Travishek’ opening pair are back to what they do best: Cause carnage.

This is also the second-highest run chase in IPL history, with 262 chased by PBKS against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year being at the top. SRH has risen to the eighth spot with two wins and four losses while PBKS is at sixth place, with three wins and two losses.
Chasing 246 runs, opener Travis Head started with two fours against Arshdeep Singh in the first over.

In the next two overs, Abhishek Sharma hit Marco Jansen for four boundaries in the second over, while Head secured a hat-trick of fours against Arshdeep.

The fourth over by Yash Thakur was an expensive one, yielding 20 runs. A four and six from Abhishek helped SRH reach the 50-run mark in 3.3 overs and Yash himself erred by delivering SRH freebies in the form of no ball and wides.

Abhishek reached his first fifty of IPL 2025 in 19 balls, with seven fours and three sixes.  At the end of six overs, SRH was 83/0, with Head (28*) and Abhishek (49*) unbeaten.

Abhishek and Head continued to make a meal out of spinners, Glenn Maxwell and Yuzvendra Chahal. 100-run was up for SRH in 7.3 overs.
In the 10th over, Jansen was hit for 20 runs, including two fours and two sixes by Abhishek himself. At the end of 10 overs, SRH was 143/0, with Abhishek (87*) and Head (49*) unbeaten.

Head completed his half-century in 31 balls, his second of the tournament. 150 runs were up for SRH in 10.5 overs.

The 171-run stand between ‘Travishek’ was broken when a delivery from Chahal landed in Maxwell’s hands, removing the left-hander for 66 in 37 balls, with nine fours and three sixes.

Abhishek made his maiden IPL ton in just 40 balls, with 11 fours and six sixes. However, after his century, Abhishek continued his carnage, bullying Chahal by looting 19 runs in the 15th over. 200-run mark was up for SRH in 14.5 overs.

Arshdeep got his team a breakthrough, removing Abhishek for a 55-ball 141, with 14 fours and 10 sixes. SRH was 222/2 in 16.2 overs.
SRH chased down the target with nine balls left, with Heinrich Klaasen (21*) and Ishan Kishan (9*) unbeaten.

Earlier, skipper Shreyas Iyer’s fifty and right-hand batter Marcus Stoinis’s cameo in the end powered the Punjab Kings (PBKS) side to a massive total of 245/6 in their 20 overs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Saturday.

PBKS skipper Iyer won the toss and opted to bat first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Batters Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya came out in the middle to open the innings for their side.

In the first over, Prabhsimran blasted Mohammed Shami for three fours. In the second over, skipper Pat Cummins gave away 16 runs, with Priyansh being the aggressor with four and six. In the third over, Shami was taken down for three sixes and a four. PBKS is 53/0, with Priyansh (29*) and Prabhsimran (23*) unbeaten.

The first wicket fell in the fourth over at the score of 66 as Harshal Patel sent back Priyansh (36 runs off 13 balls) to the pavilion.

Following Arya’s wicket, team skipper Shreyas Iyer came out in the middle to bat, along with Prabhsimran. Iyer ended the powerplay with a six. After the end of six overs, PBKS were 89/1 with Prabhsimran (41*) and Iyer (9*) unbeaten.

Debutant Eshan Malinga took his maiden IPL wicket as a fine catch at mid-off from Pat Cummins to dismiss Prabhsimran (42 in 23 balls, with seven fours and a six) at the score of 91 in the seventh over.

Left-hand batter Nehal Wadhera came out to bat next. After the end of 10 overs, PBKS were 120/2, with Shreyas (24*) and Nehal Wadhera (13*) in the middle.

20 runs came from leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari’s over as Iyer smashed a four and two sixes. After the completion of the 12th over, PBKS were 149/2, with Iyer (48*) and Wadhera (17*) on the crease.

Iyer went on to score his third half-century of IPL 2025 in just 22 balls, which came with two fours and five sixes.

Eshan Malinga got his second wicket, as he removed Nehal for 27 in 22 balls, with two fours and a six. PBKS is 164/3 in 13.3 overs.

In the 15th over, Harshal Patel dismissed Shashank Singh (2) when the team score was 168. In the 17th over, a four from Iyer brought the 200-run mark in the 17th over with Iyer (82*) and Glenn Maxwell (3*) unbeaten.

In the 18th over, Harshal Patel took two wickets of Maxwell (3) and Iyer (82 in 36 balls, with six fours and six sixes). After these two wickets, PBKS were 206/6 in 17.3 overs.

In the final over, four successive sixes from Stoinis (34* in 10 balls, with a four and four sixes) took the Punjab franchise to 245/6.

For the Hyderabad franchise, four wickets were snapped by right-arm seamer Harshal Patel and two wickets were grabbed by Eshan Malinga.

Brief Scores: SRH: 247/2 in 18.3 overs (Abhishek Sharma 141, Travis Head 66, Arshdeep Singh 1/37) beat PBKS: 245/6 (Shreyas Iyer 82, Prabhsimran Singh 42, Harshal Patel 4/42). (ANI)