Abhishek Sharma’s Record 141 (55) Ignites IPL 2025: SRH Clinch Second-Highest Chase Ever vs PBKS | Match Analysis
Relive Abhishek Sharma’s breathtaking 141 off 55 balls! Full match report of SRH vs PBKS where Sunrisers Hyderabad recorded the second-highest successful run chase in IPL history, overhauling Punjab Kings’ 245. Analysis, records, and player reactions from IPL 2025 Match 27.
The Hyderabad Hurricane: Abhishek Sharma’s Record-Shattering 141 Propels SRH to IPL’s Second-Highest Successful Chase
Introduction: An Unforgettable Night of Carnage
April 12, 2025. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad witnessed not just a cricket match, but a seismic event that sent shockwaves through the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL). Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), grappling with a four-match losing streak and languishing near the bottom of the table, were set an almost insurmountable target of 246 by a rampant Punjab Kings (PBKS). What unfolded next was sheer cricketing theatre, a defiant counter-attack led by a young man battling illness and indifferent form, culminating in the second-highest successful run chase in the glittering history of the IPL. The architect of this improbable victory? Abhishek Sharma. His name is now etched into IPL folklore after a blistering, record-breaking innings of 141 runs off a mere 55 deliveries – an onslaught that redefined power-hitting and resurrected SRH’s campaign in spectacular fashion.
Match Context: Desperation Meets Dominance
The stage was set for Match 27 of IPL 2025. Sunrisers Hyderabad, under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, desperately needed a turnaround. Having started the season with a win, they had slumped to four consecutive defeats, their explosive batting potential seemingly dormant. Their famed opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, affectionately dubbed ‘Travishek‘ after their exploits the previous season, hadn’t quite clicked. Abhishek, in particular, was under pressure, having accumulated just 51 runs in his first five innings. Adding to his woes, he revealed post-match that he had been battling a high fever for four days leading up to the game.
Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, were positioned more comfortably in the table but arrived in Hyderabad aiming to consolidate their standing. Their batting lineup boasted firepower, and on a track that looked increasingly like a batter’s paradise, they were determined to post a formidable total. The atmosphere was charged – SRH needed inspiration, PBKS sought momentum, and the Hyderabad crowd yearned for a performance worthy of the ‘Orange Army’.
First Innings: Punjab Kings Lay Down the Gauntlet
Opting to bat first, Punjab Kings validated their decision with an exhibition of aggressive batting. The tone was set early by openers Priyansh Arya (36 off 13) and Prabhsimran Singh (42 off 23), who blazed away in the powerplay, rattling the SRH bowlers. Mohammed Shami, usually a potent weapon, endured a torrid time, eventually conceding a staggering 75 runs in his four overs – the second-most expensive figures in IPL history at that point.
Captain Shreyas Iyer then took centre stage, playing a sublime innings of 82 off just 36 balls. His knock was a masterclass in timing and placement, laced with six fours and six sixes. He seemed to effortlessly find the boundary, manipulating the field and punishing anything loose. Cameos from Nehal Wadhera (27) and a late, brutal assault from Marcus Stoinis (34* off 11 balls, including four sixes off the final four balls of the innings) propelled Punjab Kings to a mammoth 245/6.
As the innings concluded, the consensus was clear: Punjab had batted SRH out of the game. Chasing 246 required not just skill, but a miracle. Former Australian captain Michael Clarke, commentating on the match, suggested SRH needed an unprecedented 80/0 in the powerplay just to stay in contention. Little did anyone know, a hurricane was brewing.
The Chase: Enter Abhishek Sharma – The Storm Breaks
The chase began under immense pressure. Travis Head took strike, but it was Abhishek Sharma who immediately signalled his intent. Recovering from illness, burdened by poor form, the 24-year-old southpaw seemed transformed. He got off the mark with an outside edge that flew over third man for four – a stroke of luck, perhaps, but also a sign that fortune might favour the brave this night.
What followed was not luck, but pure, unadulterated carnage. Abhishek unleashed a breathtaking assault on the PBKS bowlers. He took Marco Jansen apart in the second over, hitting four boundaries. Yash Thakur was greeted with similar disdain. A brief reprieve came when Thakur had him caught, only for the umpire’s signal to indicate a no-ball. Abhishek rubbed salt into the wound, dispatching the resulting free-hit for a massive six.
The powerplay belonged entirely to SRH, specifically to Abhishek. He raced towards his fifty, bringing it up in just 19 balls with an inside edge boundary. By the end of the sixth over, SRH were 83/0 – exceeding even Clarke’s ambitious target. Abhishek had blitzed his way past fifty, playing shots all around the wicket with astonishing power and timing. Travis Head, himself an explosive batter, was content playing second fiddle, rotating the strike and admiring the fireworks from the best seat in the house.
The ‘Travishek’ Tornado: A Record Partnership
The onslaught didn’t stop after the powerplay. Abhishek continued his relentless attack, unafraid to take the aerial route against the spread field. He targeted Glenn Maxwell and even the experienced Yuzvendra Chahal, who dropped a tough return catch off his own bowling, wasn’t spared. Head, meanwhile, shifted gears, smashing Maxwell for consecutive sixes to bring up his own fifty off 31 balls.
The partnership between Head and Sharma blossomed into something truly special. They complemented each other perfectly – Abhishek’s raw power and Head’s calculated aggression. Runs flowed at an astonishing rate. They brought up the 100 in just 46 balls and galloped past 150 in only 66 deliveries. The PBKS bowlers looked shell-shocked, their captain Shreyas Iyer desperately shuffling through seven different bowlers within the first nine overs, searching for a breakthrough that seemed impossible.
The partnership finally ended in the 13th over when Head (66 off 37 balls, 9 fours, 3 sixes) mistimed a shot off Chahal and was caught in the deep. The score read 171/1. It was the second-highest opening stand for SRH in IPL history and had broken the back of the chase. But the main act was still at the crease.
Abhishek’s Masterclass: Maiden Century and Record Assault
With Head’s departure, the responsibility fell squarely on Abhishek’s young shoulders. He responded not with caution, but with even greater aggression. He reached his maiden IPL century shortly after, taking just 40 balls. It was the fifth-fastest hundred in IPL history overall, the third-fastest by an Indian, and the fastest ever scored at the Hyderabad venue. He celebrated emotionally, pulling out a piece of paper with a message for the loyal ‘Orange Army’ fans, whose cheers reverberated around the stadium. His parents, watching from the stands, applauded every boundary.
But the century was just a milestone, not the destination. Abhishek continued his demolition job. He plundered 19 runs off a Chahal over, making a mockery of the required run rate. The 200 for SRH came up before the 15th over was complete. Every bowler who came on was treated with the same disdain. His six-hitting, in particular, was awe-inspiring. Coming into the match without a single six in the season, he smashed ten towering maximums, clearing the ropes with remarkable ease. Ambati Rayudu, former India batter, watching the innings, was left astounded, remarking he hadn’t seen an Indian youngster hit sixes with such effortless power in 10-15 years.
As he blazed past 126, he surpassed David Warner’s record for the highest individual score for SRH. Then, with another boundary, he eclipsed KL Rahul’s 132 to become the highest-scoring Indian batter in a single IPL innings. His assault propelled him into the elite company of Chris Gayle (175*) and Brendon McCullum (158*) as the owner of the third-highest individual score in IPL history.
The Climax and the Records Tumble
The dream innings finally concluded in the 17th over. Attempting another big hit off Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek was caught in the deep. He walked off to a thunderous standing ovation, having scored an unbelievable 141 runs from just 55 deliveries. His innings included 14 fours and 10 sixes, a staggering 116 runs scored in boundaries alone, at a phenomenal strike rate of 256.36. He had hit 24 boundaries in total (fours + sixes), the joint second-most in an IPL innings.
Though the protagonist had departed, the script was already written. Heinrich Klaasen (21* off 14) and Ishan Kishan (who came in as an impact player or potentially a misreport in source, Klaasen finished the game with another partner, likely implied but not explicitly named in all reports) calmly guided SRH home with nine balls to spare. The final score: SRH 247/2 in 18.3 overs.
History was made. Sunrisers Hyderabad had successfully chased down 246, registering:
- The second-highest successful run chase in IPL history (behind PBKS’s 262 vs KKR in 2024).
- SRH’s highest-ever successful run chase.
Abhishek Sharma’s individual milestones were equally staggering:
- Highest individual score by an Indian in IPL (141).
- Third-highest individual score in IPL history.
- Highest individual score in an IPL run chase.
- Highest individual score for SRH.
- Maiden IPL Century (40 balls).
- Second-most sixes by an Indian in an IPL innings (10).
Impact and Reactions: Belief Restored
The victory was more than just two points for SRH; it was a massive statement. It snapped their losing streak, propelled them up the table (to eighth, temporarily), and reignited belief within the camp and fanbase.
Post-match, Abhishek Sharma, deservedly named Player of the Match, spoke candidly about his struggles with form and illness. He expressed immense gratitude to his mentors, former India star Yuvraj Singh, and current T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. “To be honest, I was sick for four days – I had a fever. But I feel really grateful to have people like Yuvraj Singh and Suryakumar Yadav around me. They kept calling, kept checking in, and they believed in me,” Abhishek revealed. “Even when I started to doubt myself a little, they didn’t… When someone like that believes in you, you start believing in yourself again.”
Captain Pat Cummins, while acknowledging the high score conceded, praised the team’s batting philosophy and Abhishek’s talent. “It suits our style… it seems crazy that you feel confident that you will be able to chase down close to 250,” Cummins remarked. “I am a pretty big fan of Abhi.”
Travis Head lauded the partnership, stating, “Abhi got off to a flier, we complement each other really well.”
The cricketing world erupted in praise for Abhishek’s “freakish” innings. Experts lauded his clean hitting, his ability to hit sixes at will, and the sheer audacity of his strokeplay under pressure. The performance generated massive buzz online, solidifying his status as one of the most exciting young talents in Indian cricket.
Conclusion: An Innings for the Ages
Abhishek Sharma’s 141 off 55 balls against Punjab Kings wasn’t just a match-winning knock; it was a defining moment in IPL 2025 and a potential turning point in a young player’s career. Battling illness and self-doubt, he produced an innings of such ferocity and skill that it made one of the highest targets in T20 history look achievable, almost comfortable. He didn’t just score runs; he dismantled a bowling attack, broke multiple records, and single-handedly lifted his team from the depths of a losing streak to the euphoria of a historic victory.
The chase itself, the second-highest ever in the IPL, stands as a testament to the evolving nature of T20 cricket, where no total seems truly safe. But the night belonged to Abhishek Sharma. It was a performance fuelled by talent, belief, and perhaps, a touch of destiny – an innings that will be replayed and talked about for years to come, forever remembered as the ‘Hyderabad Hurricane’ that blew Punjab Kings away and etched Sunrisers Hyderabad’s name into the record books.
