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In a match against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday, Abhishek Sharma broke his own record for the fastest half-century by a Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Continuing the pattern of doing well every alternate match this IPL, Abhishek bounced back from the last match's duck with a quickfire 22-ball 59, with six fours and four sixes against CSK. His runs came at a strike rate of over 268. A highlight of his knock was taking down Matthew Short for 25 runs, including four boundaries and a six in the fifth over, bringing up his fifty in just 15 balls, breaking his record of 16-ball fifty against MI back in 2024. This is also the third fastest fifty in IPL, after Yashasvi Jaiswal's 13-ball fifty against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) back in 2023, and 14-ball fifties by KL Rahul, Pat Cummins and Romario Shepherd above his effort. In six matches and innings this season so far, Abhishek has made 188 runs at an average of 31.33, with a strike rate of 229.26, including two fifties and a best score of 74. He has also completed his 2,000 IPL runs, scoring 2,004 runs in 80 innings at an average of 27.45 and a strike rate of 167.55, including a century and 11 fifties. In 80 innings and 77 innings for SRH, Abhishek has made 1,941 runs at an average of 26.95 at a strike rate of 166.89, including a century and three fifties. Abhishek is the second-fastest to the landmark in 1,193 balls, after Andre Russell (1,120 balls). This year in 19 T20s, Abhishek has scored 511 runs at an average of 28.38, with a strike rate of 209.42, including six fifties. He also has registered seven ducks this year, the most by an Indian in a calendar year. Coming to the match, CSK won the toss and opted to bowl first. A 75-run stand between Abhishek (59 in 22 balls, with six fours and four sixes) and Travis Head (23 in 20 balls, with three fours and a six) started off things for SRH on strong note. Heinrich Klaasen (59 in 39 balls, with six fours and two sixes) held on end steady as wickets kept falling, taking SRH to 194/9 in 20 overs. Anshul Kamboj (3/22), Jamie Overton (3/37), Mukesh Choudhary (2/21) were the pick of the bowlers for the CSK. (ANI)
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