IPL 2025: Abhishek Sharma's record ton stuns Punjab Kings

Sunrisers Hyderabad opener hits 141 from 55 balls to help chase down 246 with ease

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma celebrates his century against Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. AFP

Opener Abhishek Sharma hit a merciless 141 off 55 balls as Sunrisers Hyderabad completed IPL's second highest run chase, reaching a target of 246 to stun Punjab Kings by eight wickets on Saturday.

After a string of low scores at the start of the tournament, Abhishek hit top gear straightaway in one of the most destructive opening stands in recent years in IPL.

The young left-hander and fellow opener Travis Head, who hit 66, put on this season's highest stand of 171 inside 13 overs to end the contest well before the end overs at the Uppal stadium in Hyderabad.

Sunrisers reached the target with nine balls to spare.

The chase was the second-best effort after Punjab's record pursuit of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders last year.

Abhishek's innings was his first IPL century and the third highest individual score in the league behind Chris Gayle (175 not out for Bengaluru) and Brendon McCullum (158 not out for Kolkata).

Punjab thought they had the match in the bag after captain Shreyas Iyer's 82 and a late blitz of 34 by Marcus Stoinis took the score to 245-6.

But that massive total still proved achievable as Hyderabad openers chanced their arm and also enjoyed huge slices of luck, with Abhishek getting caught off no-ball early on and Punjab losing fast bowler Lockie Ferguson in injury in his first over.

Abhishek tore apart the opposition bowling to reach his fifty in 19 balls. Australia's Head fell to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal after hitting nine fours and three sixes in his 37-ball knock.

His fellow opener raised his century in 40 balls as he punched the air and waved a piece of paper with a message "This one for the orange army".

After the carnage, Punjab left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh sent back Abhishek, who hit 14 fours and 10 sixes, with 24 to win and Heinrich Klaasen got Hyderabad home with an unbeaten 21 off 14 balls.

Arshdeep gave away just 37 runs in his four overs, the best bowling effort of the day.

Earlier, Iyer struck his fastest IPL fifty in 22 balls before Stoinis hammered an 11-ball unbeaten 34 to boost Punjab's total.

New batting sensation Priyansh Arya and partner Prabhsimran Singh handed Punjab a quick start as the two smashed 53 runs in the first three overs.

Arya, who earlier hit a cracking ton against Chennai, departed after his 13-ball 36 and Prabhsimran went out next, for 42, with Sri Lanka's Eshan Malinga getting his first IPL wicket on debut.

Iyer took on the bowlers and his quick fifty was better than his 23-ball half-ton for Kolkata Knight Riders against Hyderabad last year in qualifier 1.

Fast bowler Harshal Patel struck regular blows including two in one over when he got Glenn Maxwell bowled for three and Iyer caught out at backward point. Patel returned figures of 4-42.

But Stoinis hammered pacer Mohammed Shami for four straight sixes to finish off the innings in a 27-run last over.

Shami conceded 75 runs in his four wicketless overs to return the second most expensive spell in IPL after Rajasthan Royals' Jofra Archer gave away 0-76 in the second match this season.