Abhishek Sharma played a phenomenal knock of 59 runs off 20 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing IPL 2025. Chasing 206 runs at the Ekana Stadium, Sunrisers Hyderabad needed a fantastic start and Abhishek managed to set the momentum right from the start. In the absence of his regular opening partner, Travis Head, who was out with COVID-19, the youngster smacked boundaries all around the park and completed his half-century in just 18 balls.
With that, Abhishek set the record for the most half-centuries under 20 balls in the IPL. Lucknow’s Nicholas Pooran held the record and now, the 24-year-old joined him at the helm of things. Jake Fraser-McGurk and Travis Head stand joint-second, with each having three half-centuries to their name under 20 balls in the cash-rich league.
Meanwhile, Abhishek’s knock of 59 runs was followed by Ishan Kishan’s 35, Heinrich Klaasen’s 47 and Kamindu Mendis’ 32 as Hyderabad registered a comfortable six-wicket win over Lucknow. Batting first, the hosts had a strong start with both openers - Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram scoring a half-century each but the middle order failed to live up to the expectations.
Captain Rishabh Pant once again struggled to get going while Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad made three each. Pooran had a decent day out, scoring 45 runs off 26 balls before a miscommunication with Samad found him short of the crease. Lucknow eventually posted 205 runs on the board, but Hyderabad chased it down with absolute ease.
Abhishek was eventually adjudged Player of the Match for his heroics in the powerplay. His charismatic batting set the platform for his team’s fourth victory this season. On the other hand, with the defeat, Lucknow are officially out of the playoffs race. Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians are now in the race, as only one team will make it to the next round.