Abhishek Sharma, the opening batsman for SunRisers Hyderabad, achieved his first Indian Premier League (IPL) century with an impressive display of power hitting against Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday. The left-handed batsman reached his century in just 40 balls during the 13th over of SunRisers Hyderabad's pursuit of 246 runs.

Sharma's milestone was achieved off the bowling of Yuzvendra Chahal, prompting an eruption of cheers from the crowd at Uppal, who honored him with a standing ovation. This century marked the sixth-fastest in IPL history.

Following his century, Abhishek Sharma showcased a white piece of paper to the audience, which read, “This one is for the Orange Army,” referring to the dedicated fanbase of SunRisers Hyderabad. Notably, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer approached Sharma to see the message on the paper.

Sharma concluded his innings with a remarkable score of 141 runs from 55 balls, including 14 fours and 10 sixes. His performance was instrumental in leading SunRisers Hyderabad to successfully chase down 246 runs with eight wickets remaining and nine balls to spare, marking the second-highest chase in IPL history.

In this innings against Punjab Kings, Abhishek Sharma also set a new record for the highest score by a SunRisers Hyderabad player, surpassing David Warner's previous record of 126. Additionally, he achieved the highest score by an Indian batsman in the IPL, eclipsing KL Rahul's former record.

With this achievement, Abhishek Sharma now holds the third-highest individual score in the tournament's history, trailing only Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum.

In pursuit of 246 runs, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head established a formidable opening partnership of 171 runs. Travis Head displayed exceptional form, scoring 66 runs off 37 deliveries, which included nine boundaries and three sixes before returning to the pavilion.

Prior to the match against Punjab Kings, Abhishek Sharma had been experiencing a run drought, and the SunRisers Hyderabad were also struggling.

Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head put on a masterclass

Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head delivered an outstanding performance. As SunRisers Hyderabad aimed for a strong start in their chase of 246, the pair provided just that. They unleashed a fierce attack, leaving Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer scrambling for solutions.

Abhishek Sharma took the lead in aggression, targeting bowlers such as Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Glenn Maxwell without hesitation.

Earlier, Shreyas Iyer, the captain of Punjab Kings, won the toss and chose to bat first. The team managed to score 245 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted twenty overs, largely thanks to Iyer's impressive innings of 82 runs.

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